For Healthy Hearing, Stop Doing These 7 Things

If you’re considering putting something in your ear – whether it’s your little finger, a cotton swab, or a little camera advertised on the Internet – hearing experts are united in wanting you to reconsider your decision .

But it’s not just about digging in your ears, mowing the lawn without hearing protection, or keeping the volume on your headphones at maximum. Below, you’ll find some common habits that hearing professionals would prefer you start again or stop altogether.

Don’t: Place objects in your ear, including ear canal cameras.

California audiologist Patty Anderson has seen patients put many objects in their ear: cotton swabs, of course, although the box usually says “Do not insert cotton swabs into the ear canal,” as well as batteries. , pen caps, glittering gemstones from an hour of crafting, bobby pins and small spoons intended for extracting earwax.

“Honestly, people put just about anything in their ears,” she says. Nowadays, this includes hearing cameras, a current trend.

But it’s a habit that’s best avoided. Putting something in your ear, like a Q-Tips, can potentially puncture your eardrum (ouch!). Plus, you’re probably not achieving your desired goal. The anatomy of the ear is designed to be self-cleaning, Anderson explains. Yes, when you put something in your ear, you may come out with earwax, but that’s because the skin dries out toward the exit of the ear canal, she explains. When you use a cotton swab – or any other object – to remove earwax, the end result is that you push much of it deeper into your ear canal.

That said, Anderson knows that many people will read this and persist in wanting to clean their ears. If that’s you, here’s his advice: First, some people have very small ears, twisted bends in the ear that prevent earwax from coming out on its own, or produce a lot of earwax. These people may need to see a professional for ear cleaning, and she recommends regular treatment by an ENT specialist. And if you just can’t resist using a cotton swab, try to be careful with how much goes into your ear and don’t go too far.

Don’t: Postpone that appointment – ​​or treat yourself

“A lot of patients will wait to seek help,” says Brittany Sims, a hearing aid specialist in the Dallas area.

Many people go to a hearing clinic only because their spouse or partner pushes them. There can be a variety of reasons why people delay: equating hearing loss with age, not recognizing the severity of the problem, or worrying about the cost of hearing aids. But the end result is delaying treatment that can help you hear and communicate better.

“Don’t ignore your early signs of hearing loss,” says Sims.

Learn more: How often should I have my hearing tested?

Another “don’t” is self-diagnosis. While online hearing tests are easy to find and the over-the-counter hearing aid market is exploding, Paige Gainey, AuD, CCC-A, of Texas-based Total Hearing Care, generally recommends proceeding with caution.

Indeed, you risk making mistakes in the sound settings, either by over-amplifying or under-amplifying. If the sound is too loud, you risk worsening hearing loss, she notes. And “any time you are under-amplified, your neutrons can weaken, atrophy and die because they are not stimulated.”

(Learn more about the changes that happen in your brain when you have hearing loss.)

Additionally, in some cases, hearing loss may be due to earwax buildup, so an online hearing test will not provide correct information.

“We really need to have a physical look at your eardrum before diagnosing and treating,” says Gainey.

Don’t: Compare your hearing to others’ situations

Our experts agree: When it comes to hearing, comparing yourself to others doesn’t help.

Think of it like taste buds, says Gainey. You can eat the same dinner as someone else, but you will experience the taste of the food differently. Hearing is complex: The sound comes through your ear, but you interpret it with your brain, Gainey explains. “Your brain is like a fingerprint,” she says: it’s unique. Two people can have the same audiogram, but will still hear differently in the same environment.

“I could have 10 audiograms (and on paper) it could be identical,” Anderson says. But the functional impact and outcomes can be very different depending on how people use their hearing aids and how they choose to manage their hearing loss, she says.

Habits Audiologists Want You to Avoid If You Wear Hearing Aids

Don’t: Skip Nightly Cleaning

Audiologists frequently see people who do not clean their hearing aids daily. This is understandable: first of all, it can be a bit of a tedious task. And, for older adults or anyone with vision problems, seeing small parts can be difficult, Anderson says.

Follow these step-by-step instructions for how to clean your hearing aids and learn tips for removing earwax from hearing aids.

Keep in mind that your audiologist may be able to help you. Some clinics offer walk-in appointments, where you can get help with small tasks (cleaning hearing aids, replacing batteries) that may be difficult due to dexterity or vision, says Anderson .

Don’t: Go to appointments alone

“We always ask patients to bring a loved one with them to an appointment,” says Gainey.

On the one hand, it’s helpful to have someone on hand when you’re gathering a lot of complex information about a new medical device and how it interfaces with other technology in your life (like your phone, your speakers or TV).

Additionally, your audiologist can use the person’s voice to help program the hearing aid, Gainey points out. So if you have a very soft-spoken partner, your audiologist will program the hearing aid based on the pitch of their voice, says Gainey.

Don’t: Skip the follow-up appointment

When it comes to hearing aids, you’ll probably need a few appointments, especially if you’re a new hearing aid user, says Gainey. During follow-up appointments, you will benefit from adjustments to your hearing aids that take your specific feedback into account. Now is the time to report if you are having difficulty hearing in a particular environment, if the Bluetooth connection is confusing, or if any other problem might prevent you from wearing or getting the most out of your hearing aids.

Think of adding hearing aids as a journey, not a one-off, says Gainey.

“If you notice something, write it down and share it with me,” Anderson says. “The more information someone shares with me…the more I can personalize their hearing aids to meet their needs,” she says. Perhaps, Anderson says, some people avoid giving their opinions for fear that it will be taken personally. Avoid this mentality! If someone tells him they hate their hearing aids, Anderson’s response is to look for solutions.

“Almost everything is fixable. We just need to know what to fix,” she says.

Learn more: 7 tips for getting used to your new hearing aids

Don’t: Use your hearing aids sporadically

“We have patients who come to us and say, ‘Well, you know, I only put them on when I go to restaurants, and then they don’t work well,'” Gainey says. But in reality, hearing aids should be worn “all day, every day, when they’re awake,” she says. This way, you will train your brain and it will be better equipped to handle tricky listening situations, like dining out.

“If you don’t use this muscle, you won’t be able to hear properly in difficult environments,” says Gainey. Bottom line: Consistency is important when it comes to using hearing aids.

Even if you’re alone, there are benefits to wearing hearing aids, Anderson says. This is a difficult message for hearing specialists to convey; Anderson’s own mother will take hers off when no one is around. But, as Anderson points out, wearing hearing aids can help her mother combat her bothersome tinnitus. And wearing hearing aids can help you hear and be aware of the environment around you, she says. Stimulating this system helps keep it active and engaged, and also makes communication easier, says Anderson.

Read more: Should you wear hearing aids all the time?