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Deafness is a relatively common problem that affects people of all ages. Although hearing does naturally begin to decline between thirty and forty years old, hearing loss certainly isn’t inevitable. There are countless ways to prevent hearing loss and many more issues that could cause it. As far as the body is concerned, ears are a fairly low maintenance part. However, harming the ears isn’t difficult to do. With that in mind, here are six serious mistakes that may cause hearing loss.
- Listening To Loud Music
Parents aren’t right about everything, but they occasionally hit the nail on the head. Watching the television or listening to music too loudly can cause deafness. This is because loud noises damage the hair cells inside the ear, making it hard for them to feel sound vibrations. Turning your music or television down is the only way to avoid the irreversible damage noise can cause.
- Skipping A Doctor’s Visit
Everyone experiences muffling or ringing in their ears occasionally. However, if you believe that these problems are getting worse, you should speak to an audiologist. Early diagnosis usually leads to better treatment, so book an appointment right away. Even when you believe your ears are healthy, you should still attend regular check-ups. This can prevent any hearing issues later.
- Taking The Wrong Medication
All medications have a list of possible side effects on the box or bottle. Unfortunately, many people take their medicine without any further research. Among the many side effects you can encounter is hearing loss. Ototoxic medications are toxic to the ears, so cause damage that can result in deafness. If you’re having hearing trouble, ask about switching to another medication.
- Digging Inside An Ear
Cotton swabs are kept in most bathroom cabinets and used for cleaning ears. The only problem is, they shouldn’t be used for that purpose. Despite what any packaging might say, cleaning your ears with cotton swabs is dangerous. Doing so will likely push wax further down the ear canal, which can cause blockages and infections. Most experts advise you don’t clean your ears at all.
- Using Any Cleaning Candles
Using a cleaning candle isn’t any better than using cotton swabs. In fact, it could be more dangerous. After all, candles have the added risk of burns. If you were to burn your ear or open up perforations inside the eardrum, it could cause an infection, which would harm your hearing. What’s more, cleaning candles aren’t effective at their job, so risk a lot for very little reward.
- Piercing Ears By Yourself
As mentioned earlier, parents aren’t always right. While your mom was bang on about high volumes, she shouldn’t have pierced your ears. Ear piercing should only ever be done by a professional in a sanitary environment. Being lucky enough not to develop an infection once doesn’t mean that you should try piercing your own ears again. That is just asking for trouble.
Hearing loss is caused by many things, but if you avoid the mistakes above, you shouldn’t be one of them.
