Fitness Facts: Ear Care - AVV Today

By Connie Colbert
Director of Health Services of the AVV

We don't always think about taking care of our ears, but proper care can prevent common ear problems.

Taking care of your ears includes cleaning, preventing and treating infections, taking steps to avoid making unnecessary noise, and monitoring for possible hearing loss.

Connie Colbert

Did you know there is a great way to clean your ears? Here are some ear hygiene tips:

• Take extra care when cleaning your ears. Don't clean your ears with anything smaller than a washcloth on your finger. Do not use cotton swabs, bobby pins, keys, or other sharp, pointed objects to clean your ears. These objects can damage the ear canal or eardrum. When the ear canal is scratched, it often causes swelling and an infection called external otitis. This can cause extreme pain and damage the eardrum.
• You can also get ear canal infections. Moisture in the ear canal can encourage bacterial growth. One of the most common infections is the swimmer's ear. The best protection against these infections is to keep your ears dry. Dry your ears with a towel after showering or swimming.
• Wax is the ear's way of cleaning itself. If you have a buildup of wax blocking your hearing, see a doctor to have it removed. Do not try to remove it yourself.
• To cleanse your outer ear, simply use water, mild soap, and a washcloth. You can also use a cotton swab to trace the curves of the top of your ear, but don't insert it into your ear canal. Use the cloth to clean over and behind the ear.
• If you experience itching or pain in your ears, see a doctor so they can examine your ear with an otoscope and determine the cause of the pain or itching. Often times it can be a sign of an infection, allergy, or even an injury.
• If you have ear piercings, regularly clean the earrings and earlobes with rubbing alcohol.

When flying on a plane during the holiday season, you often swallow and yawn as the plane descends to help even out the pressure in your ears. If you have an upper respiratory problem, such as a cold or sinus infection, take a decongestant a few hours before landing and / or use a decongestant spray just before you descend and when you land.

Because of the way our bodies are wired, certain diseases, such as an upper respiratory tract infection, can increase the risk of ear infections or hearing loss.

Your ears can also be affected by the side effects of medication. But when should you see a doctor?

• Certain diseases and conditions can affect your hearing.
• Drainage from the ear is not normal and usually indicates an infection.
• Some medications can affect hearing. Only take medication as directed and contact your doctor if you have hearing problems, balance problems, or ringing in your ears. Something as common as aspirin or ibuprofen can contribute to hearing loss.

How to protect your hearing from noise:

• Loud noises can damage the tiny bones in your ears and lead to hearing loss. This noise-related hearing loss can be instantaneous. Or it can happen over time.
• Hearing experts recommend that it takes about 16 hours of rest for your ears to recover from a noisy night.
• To protect your hearing, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting the time and volume of listening with headphones. According to the WHO, you should not use them for more than an hour a day and the volume should not exceed 60%. The WHO also recommends the use of noise-canceling headphones. These can help you resist the urge to turn up the volume of your music.

Warning signs of hearing loss:

• You have difficulty hearing conversation, especially when there is background noise.
• He often asks others to repeat what has been said.
• They don't always understand what others are saying and respond inappropriately.
• You have difficulty hearing on the phone.
• Agree, nod, or smile during a conversation if you are not sure what was said. Or make an effort to listen or follow the conversations.
• Require that the volume on the television or radio be higher than others in the room prefer.
• Feeling like people are muttering or having murmurs in their mouths when they speak.
• Problems hearing surrounding sounds such as birds singing.
• Withdrawal from conversations and social situations because listening is too difficult.
• Read lips to try to follow what people are saying.
• Hearing a sound in the ears or head called tinnitus that is not caused by an external sound source.

When should you get hearing loss screening?

• Most school-age children have hearing tests in school every year.
• Adults who don't have hearing loss or other hearing problems can spend more time.
• The American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association recommends that adults under the age of 50 be screened at least every 10 years. After that, you should have a hearing test every 3 to 5 years.
• If you think you may have hearing loss, you should consult a doctor.

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