The celebrations have come to an end, and people are going into 2018 with a new set of resolutions to achieve. Normally these are changes to your lifestyle to boost your health, your finances or your social life – but why not make a change that you will still enjoy the benefits of in years to come? Make 2018 the year you don’t miss a thing with our easy advice on taking care of your ears:
Don’t be tempted by a DIY wax removal
Although ear wax (also known as cerumen) forms naturally in your ears, too much can be an issue. Wax build-up in your ears can cause tinnitus-like symptoms as well as temporarily impair your hearing. Many people try and clean their ears themselves with household items, unaware that hair pins, cotton buds or any other small object can do more harm than good when in contact with your ear canal. This approach may remove surface wax, but in fact usually just pushes most of it further into your ear canal, as well as running the risk of penetrating the ear drum. All our audiologists are fully trained in three different methods of ear wax removal, depending on the severity of your wax build-up. It takes a matter of minutes to safely and efficiently clean your ears- and you can be confident you’re in good hands.
The right protection
Your ears have an intricate mechanism which lets you hear well, stay balanced, and adapt to different sounds. It’s amazing what our ears can do – you can trace a sound wave’s journey through the human ear here. If you work in a particularly loud environment such as a building site or event venue, or if you love watching live music, you could be doing long-term damage to your ears. You can protect your ears from the impact of a high-volume workplace by wearing protective headphones, or custom-made ear plugs. Your ears don’t just need care against volume – winter is still in full swing, regularly hitting freezing temperatures. Cold weather can affect the technology inside your hearing aids, causing internal condensation and batteries to drain quicker.
Regular free hearing assessments
The best way to preserve your hearing is to detect any changes as soon as possible. This means getting your hearing assessed free of charge as soon as you think there might be any changes and continuing to have your hearing checked regularly after doing so. You don’t have to be self-conscious about your hearing loss – hearing aids are now more innovative, discreet and practical than ever. With approximately one in six people in the UK living with hearing impairment, there’s more people wearing them than you think!
Talk to us
If you have any questions about your hearing, or the health of your ears, book an appointment with your local THCP practice and speak to one of our qualified audiologists.