Did you know that earwax and unhealthy ears can ultimately lead to hearing loss? It’s true. A buildup of wax in our ears can cause blockage, which may then result in temporary hearing loss. While this can be addressed with the use of hearing aids, we wouldn’t want to get there if the situation is completely avoidable, right?
Ear cleaning is not as simple as it sounds. Not everything that you find online falls true when it comes to taking good care of your precious ear. Here in this article, we will clarify all the common knowledge about ear cleaning and shed light about the misconceptions on an expert’s standpoint.
1. Earwax should be removed.
This is a MYTH. While earwax may appear “dirty”, it’s actually there for a good reason. First of all, earwax is used to lubricate the skin inside our ears so that they won’t get too dry. Second, it serves to protect our ears from foreign substances.
2. We should clean our ears because ears won’t clean themselves.
This is a MYTH. You might be surprised to find out that our ears can in fact clean themselves. The earwax that our ears produce are actually created to help clean our ear canals from foreign substances such as dust and hair pieces. It works by taking these substances with it as it flakes off our ear when it nears the opening.
3. Candling is a very effective way to clean the ears.
This is yet again another MYTH. If you haven’t heard about it already, ear candling is an alternative medicine practice that claims to clean ears and promote overall health. The process begins by dripping candle wax into the ear. The wax then hardens and the earwax attaches to the hardened candle wax. It ends by pulling out the candle wax, with all the earwax attached to it.
This procedure is very dangerous because patients are putting themselves at the risk of damaging the ear canal, going as far as the eardrums. These may cause serious damage to one’s ear such as infections.
4. Wax production varies from one person to another.
This is a FACT. The beauty of our bodies comes in the fact that we all differ from one another—including earwax production. One factor that affects this is the lifestyle and work environment that one lives in. As an example, people who wear hearing protection or hearing aid devices have higher tendencies of accumulating more earwax.
5. Cotton swabs are the suggested cleaning materials for ears.
This might as well be the biggest MYTH in the list. While cotton swabs are good of a tool for many things, it is not the best one for ear cleaning. This is simply because of the damage it can cause to the insides of the ear. Moreover, it can also push the wax further in instead of “pulling” them out.
6. I can ask for professional help for wax buildup.
This is a hard FACT. Professional ear cleaning provide proper equipment and environment to accurately check the health of your ears . They also have all the necessary materials to safely clean them out in cases of wax buildup.
Which of the information above surprised you the most? Hope you picked up something valuable from this post! Don’t forget to spread the knowledge and promote healthy hearing to your loved ones. If you’re experiencing hearing problems, visit us at Listening Lab for a hearing test.
About The Listening Lab
Listening Lab is a home-grown company whose mission is to help our clients restore their hearing to enjoy the life that they desire. Experiencing hearing loss can be detrimental to one’s quality of life. Hence we commit to providing high-quality hearing solutions.
Our hearing solutions include hearing tests and treatment and prescribing hearing aids. Clients may come to get their hearing checked, and we will assess whether hearing aids are required.
If hearing aids are required, clients can choose from a variety of the best hearing aid brands we provide. Each of the products offers unique features that complement daily use and perform well in helping our clients enjoy the life that they desire.
