Ear pain or discomfort is a common experience during air travel, especially during landings. Have you ever noticed your water bottle change shape during the flight? That’s what happens to our ears.
The pressure in our middle ear is different from the pressure in the environment. Our eardrum, the membrane in your ear canal that separates your outer ear from your middle ear, changes shape and hurts our ear when the system isn’t working right.
Fortunately, our bodies have a tube that connects our middle ear space to the back of our nose and upper throat, called the Eustachian tube. This tube equalizes the pressure by allowing air to flow in and out of our middle ear space. We can relieve the pressure by manipulating our Eustachian tubes, like slowly opening the cap of the water bottle. You can “pop your ears”, or open the Eustachian tube, by either swallowing or yawning, which moves your jaw forward and down. But sucking on a hard candy, chewing gum or sipping on water may not make up the difference in pressure quickly enough during a flight.
When elevation quickly changes, as it does when flying, scuba diving, or driving in the mountains, it creates a vacuum in the middle ear that pulls the eardrum inward. This can also occur when airflow through our Eustachian tube is restricted, like when we have congestion due to allergies, colds or an inflammation. This is called ear barotrauma. Common symptoms are a sensation of fullness (as if underwater), ear discomfort or pain, slight hearing loss, ringing in the ears and sometimes dizziness when standing up. If the condition is very bad or goes on for a long period of time you may experience nosebleeds, vertigo, or a perforated eardrum; however, these conditions are rare during commercial flights.
If your ears feel congested or blocked due to a cold or other ear condition, it may be better to reschedule your flight. However, you may not want to or even be able to cancel a holiday or business trip just for this reason. There are products, techniques and treatment options that can reduce your chances of getting ear pain during the flight.
One technique you can try is called the Valsalva maneuver. It involves inhaling, then gently exhaling while holding the nostrils closed and the mouth shut. Be careful not to blow too hard, and stop as soon as one ear “pops”. If you blow too hard you can tear your eardrum, become dizzy or even cause auditory damage due to over-pressurization of your middle ears. Taking a decongestant one hour before a flight and/or using a decongestant nasal spray may help with ear pain if you are an adult. Antihistamines may also help if you have allergies. Always speak to your family physician or pharmacist before taking these drugs, as they do have some side effects.
The funniest home remedy I’ve heard of to date involves wetting tissue with hot water and placing one in each coffee cup, which is then placed over your ears. Pressure earplugs are a simpler and dryer solution. They’re special disposable earplugs that have a patented ceramic filter that slows down the pressure change, giving your ears additional time to adjust.
I use a brand called EarPlanes. They also have a noise reduction ratio of 20dB, which protects you from the loud sounds on the airplane. They’re good for two flights and can be found in both adult and children sizes. But make sure you follow the directions on the box! It’s not as simple as just putting them in your ears. The best place to purchase them is from an Audiology clinic, like our clinic at Salus Hearing Centre, where an Audiologist can answer any questions and even demonstrate how to use them properly
Here’s to starting your next land, air or sea journey with less “pressure!”
Proudly Canadian and Independently Owned and Operated 
Putting Off That Hearing Test? Here’s Another Reason to Hear Your Best!
in Hearing Aids, NewsIt’s no surprise that getting hearing help can make communicating and connecting with the world around you so much easier, but did you know that using hearing aids might also have a hand in cutting down emergency-room visits and hospital stays?
In a study published earlier this year in the medical journal JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, University of Michigan researchers investigating connections among hearing technology, health care consumption, and spending linked seniors’ self-reported use of hearing aids to changes such as the following:
So … less hospital food? Add that to the ever-growing list of better-hearing benefits. (Just kidding; some hospitals bring their A-game to patient meals!)
An estimated 466 million children and adults around the globe live with disabling hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization, with about a third of older adults affected. It’s one of the top chronic public-health challenges — potentially curbing the ability to thrive physically, socially, mentally, and financially.
Most hearing problems can be effectively treated with today’s advanced hearing technology. Even so, only a fraction of those who could benefit from hearing aids actually use them, making awareness, access, and encouragement an important part of boosting treatment rates.
With past research already connecting hearing loss to a greater chance of hospitalizations, extended illnesses, or injuries among hearing-impaired adults, the above-mentioned study, “Association Between Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Use and Cost Among Older Adults With Hearing Loss,” points to another crucial difference life-changing hearing devices can make.
Hearing better keeps you in touch with the people, places, and experiences that matter most in your life. It might also help keep you out of the ER. If you’ve noticed a change in your listening ability, or it’s been a while since your last hearing checkup, contact our caring team to schedule a consultation today!
How Are Smoking and Hearing Loss Related?
in Comorbidity, Hearing HealthThe connection between smoking and heart disease, cancer, and respiratory problems gets all the attention, but the effects of smoking on hearing have long been known. If you’re one of the 40 million U.S. adults who smokes cigarettes — or someone who lives with a smoker — read on to find out how smoking is linked to hearing loss.
Some Facts
How does smoking affect hearing?
Some Culprits
Different studies have reported different suggestions for how smoking damages hearing. Here are some common culprits.
Eustachian tube
Your eustachian tube runs from your middle ear to the back of your throat. It equalizes the pressure in your ears, and it drains the mucous created by the lining of your middle ear. Smoking leads to problems — and even blockages — in the eustachian tube, causing pressure buildup and hearing loss.
Blood Pressure
Smoking impacts your blood pressure. What does that have to do with your hearing? The structures in your inner ear depend on good, sturdy blood flow. When your blood pressure changes, your inner ear has difficulty processing sound. In pregnant women, smoking restricts blood flow — and, therefore, the oxygen supply — to the fetus. The developing inner ear doesn’t get enough oxygen, so it develops more slowly and could lead to speech-language problems later.
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are messengers that carry information between the cells in your body. Nicotine interferes with how your body regulates a key neurotransmitter — one that is crucial for transporting sound information from your inner ear to your brain. This means your brain isn’t getting enough sound input, so it has a harder time making sense of the sounds you hear.
Central nervous system
The parts of your central nervous system that create your ability to hear are still developing in late adolescence. This system is easily damaged by toxins — such as nicotine — during its development, which could explain the prevalence among adolescents of hearing loss due to secondhand smoke.
Though hearing loss caused by smoking can’t be reversed, it’s never too late to quit smoking to avoid further damage to your hearing. Contact us to schedule an appointment to get your hearing tested!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking & Tobacco Use: Data and Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/index.htm. Accessed July 31, 2018. Cruickshanks KJ, et al. Cigarette Smoking and Hearing Loss: The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. JAMA. 1998;279(21):1715–1719. Katbamna B. Effects of Smoking on the Auditory System. Audiology Online. October 2008, article 899. https://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/effects-smoking-on-auditory-system-899. Tao L, et al. Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise in China. Noise Health. 2013;15(62):67–72. Pezzoli M, et al. Effects of Smoking on Eustachian Tube and Hearing. Int Tinnitus J. 2017;21(2):98–103.
Hitting the Water? Don’t Forget Your Swimmers’ Earplugs for Ear Protection!
in Hearing Health, Hearing ProtectionYou’ve packed the swimsuits, floats, safety vests, caps, goggles, kids, and snacks for a summer afternoon at the lake or neighborhood pool, but what about the earplugs?
These small accessories can make a big difference in keeping the good times going during family fun in the water. Before you go, here are four things to know about swimmers’ earplugs:
They Help Protect Against Ear Infection
Ears and moisture don’t always mix. Otitis externa, an outer-ear infection also known as “swimmer’s ear,” is typically caused by bacterial or fungal growth when the skin in the ear canal potentially becomes irritated from activities such as swimming. Though treatable, the condition can lead to temporary hearing loss and other problems, so prevention matters. Using quality, properly inserted earplugs helps keep the water — and the threat of infection — out of your ears.
They Can Be Off the Shelf or Customized
It’s always nice to have options, and swimmers’ earplugs are no exception. They come in disposable, reusable, and custom-fit varieties and can be made from silicone or putty. Off-the-shelf earplugs are often readily available at local drugstores, but your local audiologist can create a better-fitting, washable set tailored to your unique ears. Take heed: Swimmers’ earplugs are not the same as hearing-protection earplugs and should be used only for water protection.
They’re Not Just for Swimmers
Earplugs can be your best friend when it comes to protecting your ears in water, but did you know they’re not just for swimming? That’s right! Folks who work outside in the heat all day, for example, can also use earplugs to keep the sweat away, so it’s good to have a couple extra pairs at home, the job site, or other convenient storage spots. Remember: If your ears have a chance of getting wet, protective earplugs are one of your best bets.
They’re a Solution for Adults and Children
You might think swimmers’ earplugs are just for grown-ups. Not so fast! Water in the ears can also pose a problem for kids, who are typically more vulnerable to ear infections than adults. Inserting earplugs before a swimming session or at bath time, keeping your child’s ear canals clean, and drying the ears after any amount of time in the water or other moist environment can help curb the risk of infection. And remember: Always use clean hands when inserting earplugs into your or your child’s ears.
Are you concerned about protecting your or your loved ones’ ears? Contact our caring team to schedule a complimentary hearing-protection consultation today. We’re happy to help with solutions for the whole family!
Are Balance Problems Related to Hearing Loss? There’s a Definite Possibility!
in Balance, Disorders, Hearing lossIt’s common for people with hearing loss to have balance issues, and vice versa.
This phenomenon might even affect you or a loved one. Do they occur together as a coincidence, or are hearing and balance actually related? It turns out the answer is, “It depends.” Let’s look at some basics first.
The Inner Ear
The inner ear is also known as the bony labyrinth, and it consists of both the cochlea and the vestibular system.
Hearing and Balance Problems
Both hearing and balance depend heavily on the status of your inner ear, so it makes sense that what affects one may affect the other. But let’s look at some examples to see how parts of the inner ear can be affected to cause different conditions.
Noise-induced hearing loss
Noise-induced hearing loss is an example of hearing loss with no inherent balance problem. It is caused when the hair-like hearing cells in your cochlea are damaged. This damage means less (or distorted) sound input is sent to your brain. Because it’s only in your cochlea, this damage usually doesn’t affect your balance.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Usually abbreviated BPPV, this is an example of a balance problem with no hearing loss. It causes sudden, brief spells of vertigo (a false feeling of spinning) and may be triggered by certain head movements.
What causes BPPV? The two pouches in your vestibular system hold a gel filled with crystals. These crystals react to gravity and help you understand when you’re speeding up and slowing down. But sometimes a crystal gets loose and floats into one of the three bony canals. When enough of these crystals end up in a canal, the fluid in that canal doesn’t flow as it should, and incorrect balance signals get sent to your brain. Because this doesn’t involve your cochlea, it doesn’t affect your hearing.
Ménière’s disease
Ménière’s disease is an example of hearing loss and balance problems that are often related. In fact, those are the chief symptoms — hearing issues in conjunction with balance problems.
This condition results from a buildup of endolymph, a fluid that fills the chambers and tubes of your inner ear. The increased pressure from the buildup confuses the hearing and balance receptors throughout, resulting in incorrect signals getting sent to the brain.
It’s Not a Slam Dunk
Many things lead to hearing loss. Many things lead to balance issues. As specialists in all things inner ear, an audiologist is uniquely suited to consider all your symptoms and determine which parts of your inner ear are causing you trouble. If you’re worried about a balance problem — yours or a loved one’s — contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Rechargeable Hearing Aids Are Finally Here!
in Hearing AidsHearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition facing older adults.1 As the baby boomers age, the incidence of hearing loss is increasing substantially. Presbycusis, also known as age-related hearing loss, first affects the higher frequencies, reducing the clarity of speech, and later affects the low frequencies, reducing the volume of speech.2 Studies suggest it is linked to a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s, dementia, falls, depression, and income decline.3 This is why early intervention of hearing loss is crucial. An Audiologist can offer services to assess your hearing and provide treatment options.
One option to treat hearing loss is through hearing aids. These are small devices that are programmed to an individual’s hearing loss in order to offer amplification to improve speech clarity and volume. Hearing aids have come a long way in terms of the technological revolution. There are many different styles which are extremely discrete and offer features such as wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, digital noise reduction, and tinnitus maskers. The latest technology on the market is the rechargeable hearing aid which uses a built-in lithium-ion battery that can be recharged using a charging station and power source. This revolutionary technology eliminates the hassle of disposable batteries that need to be changed every 3-14 days depending on the battery size, the severity of hearing loss and the use of hearing aid. This rechargeable hearing aid is also an ideal choice for individuals with hearing loss who have issues with dexterity and vision loss. In this article, we will explore the features behind two of the latest rechargeable hearing aids from two industry leading manufacturers – Phonak and Signia.
Phonak Audéo B-R
Phonak released the Audéo B-R in August 2016 as part of their Belong platform. Offered in 4 technology levels and 9 colors, this hearing aid is a receiver in the canal (RIC) hearing aid which discretely sits behind the ear with a thin wire connecting to a speaker that sits inside the ear. It is IP68 rated which means it is dust and water resistant. Phonak claims this is the longest lasting rechargeable aid on the market with a battery life of up to 24 hours after only 3 hours of charging time. This hearing aid also offers a fast charge option which allows for 6 hours of use after a 30 minute charge. The hearing aid comes with a charger case, mini charger, and power pack that allows for short trips where no power source is available. In a study on satisfaction, hearing aid users reported a 9.4/10 overall rating.4
Signia Cellion
Signia’s Cellion is a receiver in also a RIC hearing aid which operates on the Primax platform. It was launched in October 2016. It is offered in both mid and high end technologies and 12 colours. It is IP-68 dust and water resistant. According to Siemens, this rechargeable aid offers up to two days of use in one charge of 4 hours.5 The Cellion aid also offers a fast-charging option of 30 minutes which enables 7 hours of use. It also comes with a micro USB interface which allows for the user to use any USB compatible source. Once the aids are placed in the charging case, they automatically turn off and once removed, will automatically turn back on. All in all, a great option for rechargeable hearing aids.
If you are interested in a private demo of these rechargeable hearing aids simply go to the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists website at www.osla.on.ca to find a regulated hearing healthcare provider near you.
1. CDC (2017) https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/HearingLoss/index.html
2. ASHA (2017) http://www.asha.org/Articles/Untreated-Hearing-Loss-in-Adults/
3. CHS (2017) http://www.chs.ca/facts-and-figures
4. Phonak (2017) https://www.phonak.com/us/en/about-us/rechargeable-os-technology.html
5. Siemens (2017) https://www.sivantos.com/en/press/2016/07/05/sivantos-unveils-the-worlds-most-advanced-lithium-ion-inductive-rechargeable-hearing-aid
Zika Virus and Hearing Loss
in Preventative Hearing HealthcareZika virus (ZIKV) has become increasingly present in the news since 2015 when it rapidly spread across the Americas. Symptoms of the virus can range from a fever and rash to more severe symptoms including Guillain-Barré syndrome, hearing loss, and meningoencephalitis.
In February 2016, the Zika virus was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization. Currently, there is no specific anti-viral treatment or vaccine available. Public health efforts have focused instead on prevention, especially in pregnant women where the infection can be transmitted to the fetus.
Exposure to the Zika virus prenatally has been linked to hearing and vision deficits and microcephaly. The type of hearing loss typically diagnosed in individuals with congenital infection of the virus is sensorineural, where damage is present in the inner ear and is permanent. All children who are exposed to the virus prenatally and congenitally are urged to have hearing monitored regularly as the onset of hearing loss can be delayed or the hearing loss can progress.
Zika virus is becoming known to have an abundance of potential side effects to those infected, especially prenatally and at birth, and while more research is required on the subject, it is clear that the potential impact of the virus on hearing loss is not one to be overlooked. Monitoring hearing in individuals who have been infected with the virus, especially infants born from women infected while pregnant, is crucial for early identification and treatment of hearing loss.
Original Article
Travel Can be a Pain – But Not for Your Ears
in Noise And Your Hearing, TinnitusEar pain or discomfort is a common experience during air travel, especially during landings. Have you ever noticed your water bottle change shape during the flight? That’s what happens to our ears.
The pressure in our middle ear is different from the pressure in the environment. Our eardrum, the membrane in your ear canal that separates your outer ear from your middle ear, changes shape and hurts our ear when the system isn’t working right.
Fortunately, our bodies have a tube that connects our middle ear space to the back of our nose and upper throat, called the Eustachian tube. This tube equalizes the pressure by allowing air to flow in and out of our middle ear space. We can relieve the pressure by manipulating our Eustachian tubes, like slowly opening the cap of the water bottle. You can “pop your ears”, or open the Eustachian tube, by either swallowing or yawning, which moves your jaw forward and down. But sucking on a hard candy, chewing gum or sipping on water may not make up the difference in pressure quickly enough during a flight.
When elevation quickly changes, as it does when flying, scuba diving, or driving in the mountains, it creates a vacuum in the middle ear that pulls the eardrum inward. This can also occur when airflow through our Eustachian tube is restricted, like when we have congestion due to allergies, colds or an inflammation. This is called ear barotrauma. Common symptoms are a sensation of fullness (as if underwater), ear discomfort or pain, slight hearing loss, ringing in the ears and sometimes dizziness when standing up. If the condition is very bad or goes on for a long period of time you may experience nosebleeds, vertigo, or a perforated eardrum; however, these conditions are rare during commercial flights.
If your ears feel congested or blocked due to a cold or other ear condition, it may be better to reschedule your flight. However, you may not want to or even be able to cancel a holiday or business trip just for this reason. There are products, techniques and treatment options that can reduce your chances of getting ear pain during the flight.
One technique you can try is called the Valsalva maneuver. It involves inhaling, then gently exhaling while holding the nostrils closed and the mouth shut. Be careful not to blow too hard, and stop as soon as one ear “pops”. If you blow too hard you can tear your eardrum, become dizzy or even cause auditory damage due to over-pressurization of your middle ears. Taking a decongestant one hour before a flight and/or using a decongestant nasal spray may help with ear pain if you are an adult. Antihistamines may also help if you have allergies. Always speak to your family physician or pharmacist before taking these drugs, as they do have some side effects.
The funniest home remedy I’ve heard of to date involves wetting tissue with hot water and placing one in each coffee cup, which is then placed over your ears. Pressure earplugs are a simpler and dryer solution. They’re special disposable earplugs that have a patented ceramic filter that slows down the pressure change, giving your ears additional time to adjust.
I use a brand called EarPlanes. They also have a noise reduction ratio of 20dB, which protects you from the loud sounds on the airplane. They’re good for two flights and can be found in both adult and children sizes. But make sure you follow the directions on the box! It’s not as simple as just putting them in your ears. The best place to purchase them is from an Audiology clinic, like our clinic at Salus Hearing Centre, where an Audiologist can answer any questions and even demonstrate how to use them properly
Here’s to starting your next land, air or sea journey with less “pressure!”
Why are Hearing Aids/Hearing Instruments so Darn Expensive?
in Hearing Aids, Noise And Your HearingHearing Aid Streamer
Copyright 2015 Oticon Canada.
Long gone are the days when ear trumpets and animal horns were used to transmit sounds to the ear. Today, hearing aids are essentially mini computers custom programmed to your hearing loss. The signal processing speed of them is so fast that your brain will not even notice that the sound has been changed to meet your needs. Modern digital wireless hearing aid technology includes noise reduction algorithms and directional microphones to help you hear better than ever in our noisy world. Aside from the advances in microelectronics that make them almost “invisible”, hearing aids today also have connectivity capability with other audio sources.
Bluetooth technology is now available in most hearing aids. This technology turns your hearing instrument into a hands-free cell phone device through the use of a small intermediary accessory. This is especially handy when driving since it not only frees up your hands but allows for crystal clear hearing. You can also stream sounds from anything that is Bluetooth compatible, like music from your iPod. Your mini computer of a hearing aid today also comes with a remote control. You can control volume, turn your hearing aids on and off, answer your phone, adjust TV volume levels independently from others in the room, and listen to your tablet or MP3 player all with a click of a tiny pocket device. Many hearing aid manufacturers also have apps which allow you to turn your iPhone, blackberry or android smartphone into a remote control.
A hearing aid computer chip acts like an artificial intelligence scanning the sounds in your environment to reduce background noise and increase the speech sounds you are not able to hear. However, this only helps if the person you want to hear is close to you. There is a solution though for those who need to hear a person at a distance in a noisy environment, such as a church, synagogue, mosque or other places of worship where music and side conversations may be present at the same time. In these cases, your hearing aids can be paired with a small discrete clip-on microphone anywhere within close range of a speaker’s voice. The microphone delivers their voice directly to your hearing instruments with beautiful clarity.
People are often surprised to learn that hearing instruments/aids cost several thousand dollars. Hearing aid manufacturers are not trying to gouge the public. They need to invest significant amounts of money into research and design to make hearing aids faster, smaller and better at helping you hear. In the end, there really is no price on better hearing. It is one of our five senses and crucial to our ability to stay connected with one another. Protect your hearing and we will help make the most of what is left with technology and our professional expertise.
For more information please contact our office at 905-303-HEAR (4327) and we will be happy to book you a complimentary telephone consultation with our Doctor of Audiology. You can also email us your questions at info@salushearing.com.
Hearing Loss Is Often Misdiagnosed in School Age Children
in Hearing Loss In Children, Preventative Hearing HealthcareDoes your child have behavioural issues at school? Is your child being assessed for a learning disorder? Is your child seeing a Speech-Language Pathologist for articulation problems (speech difficulties)?
Countless school age children are misdiagnosed each year due to an undiagnosed hearing loss. Many parents believe they would know if their child could not hear well; unfortunately this is rarely the case. Speech sounds fall across a wide range of frequencies. A hearing loss across the entire speech frequency range may make sounds or speech appear softer to the child. However, if hearing loss is limited to the high frequency range a child will hear that a word or question is being asked but may not hear the word or entire sentence clearly.
It is important that you know the signs of a hearing loss in a child. Please read the common signs of hearing loss below. While these signs don’t necessarily mean that your child has a hearing problem, they could be indicators of one. If your child exhibits any of these signs it would be a good idea to book him or her a hearing assessment to rule out a hearing loss.
Signs of Hearing Loss in Children
Hearing is screened at birth today in hospitals across Ontario but hearing loss can occur at any age. Many toddler and preschoolers often experience middle ear infections. Children with Downs Syndrome are especially prone to middle ear infections. Sometimes these children will present with a fever or ear pain and sometimes there are no obvious signs at all. Therefore, good hearing healthcare practice states that every child should be screened for hearing loss every two years from the time they are born until the age 4, when they start Junior Kindergarten, and then every 5 years going forward.
A hearing assessment does not require a doctor’s referral. However, it is important to know who is assessing your child’s hearing. Make sure that your child is being assessed by an Audiologist as they are the hearing professionals. Audiologists are regulated professionals with a graduate degree or clinical doctorate in hearing sciences. Not all Audiologists have experience testing children or have the equipment to test them, so be sure to ask before booking an appointment. You can find a list of certified Audiologist that are close to you on the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists website. If you reside in or around the city of Vaughan we would be happy to book your child’s hearing assessment with our Doctor of Audiology at our clinic – Salus Hearing Centre. To book an appointment please call us at 905-303-HEAR (4327).
Confessions of a Qtip User
in Cerumen Management, Preventative Hearing Healthcare, TinnitusWe recently received a referral regarding a patient who was experiencing distress over a ringing sound in his ears. We saw him on an urgent basis at our centre as he was scheduled to fly out the next morning on a business trip. The patient was in his early 40s and came into our office with his wife who took me aside to share her concern over how desperate he had become over the past week. I took the patient into my examination room and learned that the situation started after cleaning his ears with a Q-tip cotton swab one day. At first he noticed that he couldn’t hear well and shortly afterwards he began to hear a ringing sound in his ears. He was worried and had gone to see a doctor who informed him that his ears were plugged with earwax. The doctor attempted to flush the earwax out of his ear canals but was unsuccessful. He recommended that he use drops of oil to soften the earwax. The ringing became louder with each passing day and began affecting his ability to sleep. In desperation he decided to try ear candling, again to no avail. He told me that he was seriously considering flying out to Ottawa to meet a cousin who knew someone who may be able to help.
I looked in his ears with my otoscope and confirmed that his ears were still occluded with wax and explained that the ringing he was hearing was a common side effect in people with ears plugged up with earwax. I reassured him that it would stop once the earwax was removed. I informed him that the earwax looked soft and that I would attempt to remove it using curettes (loop instruments). As soon as I removed a piece of the wax he exclaimed “I can hear!” followed by “but everything sounds so loud”. I explained that the hearing sensitivity to sounds was only temporary and I continued to remove the wax from both ears.
He and his wife were elated that the tinnitus was gone. I counselled them on proper earwax management. I have seen all kinds of objects being used to remove earwax from ear canals like cotton swabs, hair pins, pencils and ear candling. Not only were these methods potentially dangerous and ineffective, they were unnecessary. I explained that the ear canal was a self-cleaning system. The eardrum sheds and earwax naturally migrates out of the ear with it. Our body produces earwax for a reason. Earwax not only protects the ear drum from foreign objects, it also lubricates the ear canal. If you don’t have enough earwax your ears will itch and scratching the inside can lead to abrasions and potentially a very painful outer ear infection. There are some people who need to have their ear canals professionally cleaned due to their small size or bendy canals but the same no cotton swab rule applies. I followed up with the patient a month after the earwax removal and he stated that he was doing well and avoids using cotton swabs to clean his ear canals. He simply wipes what is visible on the outside of the ear canal with a towel. He said he’ll never forget my saying, “Nothing bigger than an elbow” to clean the ears.