The Three Things You Can Do To Protect Your Ears

Ear health is something that is not talked about often enough, despite around one in six people in the UK suffering from hearing loss. Some - not all, of course - of these issues are caused by poor ear care. We often take our ears for granted, despite them being a vital and susceptible organ. It is easy to forget to take good care of them when you are not having any issues with them. In fact, most people only take notice of them when a problem does arise, and sometimes, at that point, it is too late.

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Here, we look at some of the measures that you can take to prevent hearing problems from arising and to help you to have optimal hearing health for as long as possible.

Get them checked regularly
If you are experiencing unexplained deafness and nothing like temporary congestion caused by the common cold, then you should book yourself in with a hearing specialist as soon as possible to find out what is wrong and start any treatment, if necessary. If you do need hearing aids, you can learn more here. Not getting any problems sorted quickly can lead to further, and often irreversible damage to your ears and hearing, so as soon as you notice anything that is not normal for you, book yourself in and get it checked.

There are other things that you can do in the meantime to take good care of your ears and protect your hearing:

Do not put objects in your ears
We know this one sounds very obvious and patronizing, but you would be surprised at what people put into their ears to clean them if there is a build-up of wax. Audiologists and doctors have a saying: 'never stick anything smaller than your elbow into your ears,' and this is very true and very helpful. Putting small objects, such as Q-Tips, into your ear canal can cause permanent damage to your hearing.

Use wax softeners
Wax does sometimes build up in the ear, and it is actually good for your ears, despite it having a bit of reputation for being dirty and unacceptable. Wax has an important job - it provides lubrication for your ear canal and stops water and infections from getting into the ear. When you remove the wax, it puts you more at risk of catching an ear infection because your ear is more exposed.

Try not to mistake congestion with a cold with a build-up of wax and instead, protect your ears by using a wax softener.

Clean your ears safely
While it is important not to remove wax, you should also take steps to keep your ears clean. Not cleaning your ears can lead to infections. Do this by putting a warm and damp cloth over your ear - the heat will soften and bring out any dirt, and then using the cloth, gently wipe the outside of the ear clean. If you are worried about excess wax building up, visit your doctor or hearing specialist who will advise you on the best course of action to take.