Protect my ears? In most cases, our ears are one of the last body parts on our mind that need protecting. However, imagine not being able to listen to your favorite playlist on repeat, or watching a movie without hearing a sound, or listening to your loved one speaking to you? Your ears are more important than you realize. So here are five areas you can look out for on how you can maintain healthy ears and protect your hearing.
Your ears are actually very delicate and sensitive, so using any object to dig around inside your ears can easily damage or injure your ears. That means to avoid using cotton swabs. Although your intention may have been to clean your ears, you might end up accidentally pushing your earwax even father into your ears.
Did you know that your ear canals actually self-clean itself? Earwax usually does not form or build up deep inside your ear canal. That's why when you try to use a tool, such as a cotton swab, it makes your ear condition worse. Instead, just wash and clean the outer parts of your ears when you shower with soap and water. Then, make sure to towel-dry your ears when you step out of the shower. Try to avoid submerging your ears under water to avoid irritating your ear canal. In rare cases, you may need to seek a healthcare professional to give you professional ear cleaning if your ear accumulates too much earwax.
When using headphones, make sure to keep the volume at a comfortable noise level, especially if you are wearing ear-bud type headphones. In this way you can help prevent yourself from losing your hearing. If you're at an event where the noise level is high, such as a concert, try to wear earplugs to protect your ears. If you find yourself in an unavoidable situation where there is high levels of noise, make sure to take breaks in between to give your ears a break and time to recover.
Do you find it hard to hear? Do you often misunderstand what others say? Perhaps it may be a good idea to check with your primary care provider to see if you are experiencing gradual hearing loss. Going regularly for your annual physical exam is very important as your health care provider can help assist the condition at the onset and not once the condition has already become worse. In addition, hearing loss can also be linked to other health conditions if left untreated. Make sure to contact your doctor as soon as you notice any pain or change in your hearing.
High levels of stress can also cause certain hearing conditions such as ringing in the ears, or Tinnitus. That, in turn, can cause other conditions such as difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, and then if conditions become worse, even loss of hearing. In order to help keep your stress at bay, try to be balanced with your workload. Make time to regularly exercise each week - at least 20 minutes 3 to 4 times a week. If you notice any ringing in your ears, make sure to contact your health care provider immediately.
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