Our ears are important not just for hearing, but also for balance. Therefore protecting them from harm is vital.
Dr Ray Walley joined us for our weekly medical consultation to discuss the best ways to look after your ears.
When it comes to cleaning your ears, the best advice is to never put anything smaller than your elbow inside them.
Using cotton buds to remove wax can damage the skin, increasing the risk of infection, and can also push the wax further in, causing it to become impacted.
If you are suffering from an excess of wax which is impacting your hearing, you should visit your GP to have it removed safely.
According to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults worldwide are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss from unsafe use of audio devices.
Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears, and can be a symptom of hearing loss or ear injury.
Here are some steps you can take to help prevent hearing loss:
- Use earplugs around loud noises
- Turn the volume down
- Give your ears time to recover from loud noises
- Take medications only as directed
- Keep your ears dry
- Get up and move
- Manage stress levels
- Get regular checkups
