As far as the body goes, ears are a fairly low-maintenance part. In fact, you don’t even have to clean them, although many choose to regardless. Ear wax can be pretty gross, after all. While your ears don’t need much attention, it is important that you take care of them. Since they allow you to hear music and listen to your loved ones, the last thing that you want to do is cause them any harm. If you want to protect your hearing, then here are five mistakes you should avoid.
Digging In Your Ears
Cotton swabs are a staple in most bathroom cabinets. The trouble is, they’re not meant for in your ears, despite what the packaging might say. The rigidity and pointy shape can both damage the skin and eardrum. When cleaning your ears with these tools, most people also push wax further into the canal. This can cause significant pain, as well as a nasty infection. The cotton head could pop off in your ear too. Because of this, it’s best to leave your ears completely alone.Forgetting To Clean Aids
When you’re first given hearing aids, the hearing specialist will probably teach you a few good ways to keep them clean. Unfortunately, many people forget this advice or to clean their aids at all. This can quickly turn into a hygiene issue. For clean hearing aids, you should wipe them every day before putting them in. It also helps to take out your aids when exercising or doing other activities that don’t require your full hearing range, as this will prevent grime build up.
Adding Your Own Piercings
No one should ever pierce their ears themselves. You might have fond memories of your mom doing it to you when you were a kid, but that doesn’t make the process risk-free. In fact, if you managed to make it through the experience without an infection, you are very lucky. Only professional piercers should be allowed anywhere near your ears with a needle. They have the equipment and environment to keep you safe, as well as the experience to avoid any trouble.Taking The Wrong Medication
All medications come with a list of side effects. However, most people don’t read them until it’s too late. Many common drugs, like aspirin and viagra, are known as ototoxic. This means that they’re toxic to your ears and can cause hearing loss. To prevent any unnecessary damage, you should speak to your doctor about the medications that they have prescribed to you. If any of them are considered ototoxic, they may be able to find an alternative drug that isn’t.
Listening To Loud Music
Your mom may have been wrong about piercings, but she wasn’t about loud music. This can definitely cause damage to your ears and does so by wearing down the hairs inside them. This makes it difficult for them to pick up sound vibrations, resulting in hearing loss. Because of this, you should set your music at a lower volume. You should also wear hearing protection in loud environments, like building sites and concerts.Ears don’t need much looking after, but there are some things that they can’t stand. To avoid damaging your ears, avoid making the mistakes above.
