7 Things Ear Doctors Have Never Done

It’s easy to take your hearing and ear health for granted. But the reality is that many seemingly harmless behaviors can cause irreversible damage.

To make matters more complicated, the negative impact of these actions can take years to manifest. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your ears healthy as you age.

HuffPost asked doctors who specialize in this area to share the things they never do to benefit their ear health. Read on for their behavior to avoid.

“I never leave home without a pair of ear plugs in my purse,” Dr. Maura Cosetti, director of the Ear Institute of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Mount Sinai, told HuffPost. “While it’s easier to remember to wear ear protection when going to an indoor concert, there are many situations where we’re unexpectedly exposed to loud, and potentially damaging, noise.”

He emphasized that noise-induced hearing loss is very common and irreversible. That’s why prevention is key to maintaining hearing health and longevity.

“Whether it’s attending a concert or a sports event, operating a heavy machine, or shooting a firearm, I would always recommend the use of hearing protection,” said Dr. Kenny Lin, an ENT-otolaryngologist at Houston Methodist Hospital. “Protecting our ears from exposure to loud sounds is the single most important modifiable factor in protecting our hearing from noise-induced hearing loss. I keep concert earplugs in the glove compartment of my car so they’re easily accessible when I find myself at an event seems unpleasant.

“I would never fly if I had a stuffy nose without using a decongestant or special air travel earplugs,” says Dr. Bradley B. Block, otolaryngologist and host of the “Doctor’s Guide for Doctors” podcast. “Flying with a stuffy nose can cause difficulty in equalizing, or ‘pop,’ the ear, so when the plane descends, it can be very painful and lead to fluid in the ear or a ruptured ear drum.”

Indeed, flying while stuck can cause symptoms of “airplane ear” because parts of the ear don’t function as well. So if you can’t avoid flying, be sure to use a decongestant to improve nasal function. Just make sure to take the right dose to keep you protected for the full flight.

Block also recommends buying travel-specific earplugs, which have filters that limit the amount of air that flows through your ears to give them more time to adjust to changes in pressure.

Otolaryngologist Dr. Sreekant Cherukuri said he would never ignore the hearing loss. While sudden changes in hearing can signal other problems, hearing loss that occurs more slowly over time should still be addressed, as well.

“Many studies have linked untreated hearing loss to the risk of depression, anxiety, social isolation, and the risk of falling,” says Cherukuri.

He also pointed to a Johns Hopkins study that found dementia was 61% more prevalent in people with hearing loss, and that using hearing aids. resulting in 32% lower prevalence of dementia.

“I will never clean my ears,” Blok said. “Ears clean themselves. The body has a system for making wax and pushing it out, and wax usually won’t accumulate if left alone. The purpose of the wax is to protect the Ear from water, so removing it will leave the Ear vulnerable to water damage.

Indeed, without adequate protective wax, getting water in your ear can lead to a painful infection called otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear.

“Removing the wax can also leave the ears dry, flaky and itchy,” said Blok. “Cleaning the ear can also dislodge wax, scratch the canal or damage the ear.”

If you are concerned about excessive wax buildup in your ears or sudden hearing loss, consult a doctor, who can examine your ears for any problems and help eliminate them. And remember: Do not stick a Q-tip in your ear.

“Personal listening devices create a problem that we have been aware of for decades, since the Sony Walkman first came out,” said Dr. Robert Sataloff, professor and chair of the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Drexel University College of Landong.

“Some of the newer devices have noise limiters, so they can’t damage our ears. However, if you’re listening with earbuds and the music is loud enough that the person next to you knows what you’re listening to, it’s potentially dangerous.

Blok said he still uses earbuds, but also urged caution.

“One of the advantages of modern headphones and ear buds is that they block out ambient sounds, so we don’t have to listen very loudly,” said Block. “However, because of the powerful speakers packed into those tiny devices, I would never listen to headphones or ear buds at full volume.”

“Avoid using inadequate ear protection for anticipated noise exposure,” says Sataloff. “Ear protection has a noise reduction rating, or NRR. You want sound that reaches your eardrums to be below 85 [decibels]so if you’re going to be exposed for a while to a sound that’s over 90 or 95 [decibels]then you should wear ear protection.”

He recommends downloading a sound level meter app to measure noise levels to determine the type of ear protection you need.

“Mobile phone apps aren’t as accurate as professional sound pressure meters, but they’re close,” Sataloff said. “And if you download two or three of them, you can get a rough idea of ​​what they sound like.”

“At any time, do not take drugs, even prescription drugs, which are ototoxic, meaning they can damage the ears,” Sataloff said. “Most drugs cause permanent hearing loss that cannot be recovered.”

Ototoxic medications include antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs, which are not the only options on the market, so talk to your doctor about these potential side effects.

“It’s reasonable to ask the doctor if the drug is ototoxic and if it is, ask if there are alternatives,” Sataloff said. “In some cases, there is.”