How to protect your ears and your hearing health
Use earplugs around loud events and activities
Loud noises are one of the leading causes of hearing loss. External noises from work or your environment can cause noise-induced hearing loss. If you work in a high-volume environment, it is important to protect your self from dangerous levels of sound by wearing earplugs. Earplugs allow you to filter high, harmful sounds yet still allow you to hear conversations or other close sounds.
Hearing Tip: You can download smartphone apps to measure noise levels to measure the decibels (dB) of the sounds around you. Anything over 85dB is considered harmful to you for extended periods of time.
Dry your ears
After swimming or a shower, make sure to dry your ears gently with a towel to ensure no excess moisture is in the ear canal. When the ear canal contains a lot of moisture, it is more prone to bacteria and ear infections can occur.
If you are a frequent swimmer, consider custom fit swimmers earplugs made specifically to keep your ear canal dry from water.
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Lower your Volume
You may be at risk for noise-induced hearing loss from listening to audio devices at a high volume. Listening to audio with earbuds can impact your hearing over-time because they fit right next to the eardrum.
Hearing Tip: Follow the 60/60 rule and limit your usage to no more than 60 min a day at 60% volume!
Do NOT use Cotton Swabs
Ears self-clean themselves, therefore you shouldn’t use a cotton swab to clear out excess wax in your ear canal. Wax in the ears is completely normal, however if you do have a build-up of wax impacting your hearing, you can use ear wax removal solution over a few nights or use a damp towel gently around your ear.
Keep an eye on your hearing
Hearing loss happens over time, that’s why its essential to have annual consultations with hearing healthcare providers to ensure your hearing has not changed. Booking a hearing test with your hearing provider will help you recognize the signs and changes in your hearing and you’ll be able to take action faster!