Ears Tag

3 Home Wax Removal Solutions

There is something about the summer heat that causes people to produce more ear wax. If you struggle with excessive wax build-up, here are 3 at home wax removal solutions to try.  1. Oil or Wax Drops Oil is great in a pinch. Any natural oil that soaks into the skin (olive, coconut, mineral, etc.) can help soften stubborn wax and make it easier to come out. Additionally, specific wax drops you get at the pharmacy will have oil and other ingredients to soften and eat away at the wax. A few brands are Audiologists Choice and Murine Ear. Drops are a great low-cost option for regular maintenance of wax.  2. Wax Removal Tools I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen advertisements for new-fangled wax removal tools pop up everywhere. The closest tool found used by hearing aid professionals is the EarWay Pro. This specific tool has been tested and found to be safe for use in the ear; can’t say the same about the ones on Amazon. Note, that while these might work for certain types of wax, it won’t work for everyone. Ultimately, use extreme caution when trying something like this in your ears.  3. Water Yes, water. The main method of wax removal in a professional setting is water irrigation. But at home, a bulb syringe with warm water can be a gentle way to remove loose wax from the ear.  Whatever you do, avoid Q-tips. They were not designed to go in your ears, no matter...

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ear anatomy

10 Facts You May Not Know About Your Ears

10 Facts About Your Ears The human ear is amazing! The more I learn about it, the more I’m blown away at how such a small organ can do so much and be so intricate. Here are 10 cool facts that you may not know about your ears and hearing. The smallest bones in the body are in the ear! They are the ossicles in the middle ear; the incus, the malleus, and the stapes (also called the anvil, hammer, and stirrup because that’s kind of what they look like). The inner ear is the circumference of a pencil eraser! Your sense of hearing depends on tiny hairs deep inside your ear. If you lose these hairs, you lose your hearing. The slightest movement of these hairs is how we hear a variety of sounds and frequencies.  You do not need to clean wax out of your ears unless you have an abnormal condition. Ears are self-cleaning, they push the wax out on their own. On occasion, they may need a bit of help from a professional.  Most individuals experiencing hearing loss are under the age of 65… that’s right UNDER 65, hearing is not just about ‘aging’  The number one cause of hearing loss is exposure to excessively loud sounds (85 decibels or higher). Those orange foam earplugs are a great way to protect your hearing in noisy environments. Your hearing can be damaged permanently even after a single exposure to extremely loud noise (shotgun blast, explosion, etc.). Your ears...

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