Ear Care and Injury Prevention

October 2002

Part of your daily cleanliness routine should be careful cleaning of the outer part of the ear (pinna) to remove wax secreted by glands in the ear canal. Wipe a clean, damp washcloth around the outside contours of the ear as well as behind it. Never try to reach the wax in the invisible, deeper part of the ear with a cotton swab or a finger; you could push the wax deeper into the ear canal. Once this has happened, the wax, which usually moves along the canal to the outside and flakes off, hardens to a dark orange lump that irritates the wall of the ear canal and causes the skin to peel. The build-up can completely cover the eardrum and cause temporary deafness. The plug then has to be removed by a physician.

Wax also tends to trap water in the canal after swimming or washing the hair. This may cause temporary deafness. Tip your head to one side and gently pull the external ear forward. The water can then flow out of the ear.

Ear Care: Infections

Ear infections need prompt medical treatment. Whenever you have an acute earache, consult your physician.

Infection can enter the ear when you are swimming or diving, particularly in hot climates. It is a sensible precaution to wear earplugs when swimming. A boil in the ear canal is extremely painful because the surrounding tissues are tight. Never squeeze the boil, but see a physician immediately.

Ear Care: Nose Blowing

An infection of either the nose or the throat can easily reach the ear and cause a painful infection of the middle ear (otitis media). The chance of the infection spreading can be reduced by carefully blowing the nose. If the nose is blown violently, mucus can move up the Eustachian tube to the middle ear. Blow your nose gently, and make sure the nostrils are open before you begin to blow.

Ear Care: Protection From Injury

The eardrum is vulnerable to many kinds of injury that can result in partial or even total deafness. Never strike an adult or child across the ear; this can force air down the canal and burst the drum.

The ear can also be injured by high levels of noise. Loudness is measured in decibels. Exposure to noise at a level of more than 85 decibels causes temporary impairment of hearing. Continued exposure causes increasing, irreversible deafness. The first symptom of noise damage is a buzzing or ringing in the ears when the noise stops. The buzzing may take days to subside. This can happen in discothèques, if you are part of a band, or if you work in noisy surroundings.

Because of these dangers, if you work around high-level noise - for example, jet engine maintenance - you must protect your hearing with plugs or ear guards.