Actions associated with sports, sleep, or hygiene can sometimes damage the ear canal and, in the most severe cases, hearing loss. Find out how to protect yourself.
It’s crucial to seek professional advice on how to maintain ear health, especially if you’re frequently engaging in activities that might pose a risk. For residents in Santa Monica, consulting an Audiologist Santa Monica can provide personalized insights and preventive measures tailored to your specific needs.
Certain activities, as well as daily habits, can damage our ear canal in the long term. So here is a list of these little things that may seem harmless, but that is best avoided to keep your ears healthy.
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Table of Contents
Use Cotton Swabs
Earwax is produced by the body to lubricate the ear’s skin and help it stay supple while flushing out impurities. This part of the body is also self-cleaning: it is the only area where the skin cells all grow in the same direction. The best way to keep your ears clean is to clean the outside with water, about once a week. The cotton swab may do more damage than good by pushing the earwax deep into the ear and tearing the eardrum in more severe cases.
Listening To Music While Running
Matching your workout with a motivating playlist helps keep pace, but also comes with some dangers. If you run outdoors, you may automatically turn up the sound volume to drown out the noise of your footsteps, traffic, and the environment around you, which can permanently damage your hearing. Small headphones that plug into the ear are more dangerous than headphones. The rule of thumb: If you can’t hear a conversation next to you while listening to music, turn down the volume.
Put Your Head under Water
For most people, putting your head under the water in the pool is safe. But for others, water gets stuck in the ear canal, making it a breeding ground for bacteria. The result: an increased risk of a painful infection called “swimmer’s ear.”
Listening To Music While Running
Matching your workout with a motivating playlist helps keep pace, but also comes with some dangers. If you run outdoors, you may automatically turn up the sound volume to drown out the noise of your footsteps, traffic, and the environment around you, which can permanently damage your hearing. Small headphones that plug into the ear are more dangerous than headphones. The rule of thumb: If you can’t hear a conversation next to you while listening to music, turn down the volume.
Put Your Head under Water
For most people, putting your head under the water in the pool is safe. But for others, water gets stuck in the ear canal, making it a breeding ground for bacteria. The result: an increased risk of a painful infection called “swimmer’s ear.