When the sun stays up a little later, and the flowers emerge from their buds, it means one thing: it’s time for spring! Like many others, this new, warmer season might have you considering a deep clean and declutter. Before grabbing supplies from Elliot’s Hardware, take some time to think about which habits you can clean out of daily life—specifically, which bad habits are harming your ears?
Let’s look at three of those habits now to help you make the decision to kick them to the curb.
Bad Habit #1: Skipping Hearing Aid or Headphone Cleanings
Wearing hearing aids all day can clog them with wax or cover them in sweat, leading to poor sound quality. While you may not wear earbuds all day, they’re still vulnerable to the same grime and sound disruption.
Dirty hearing aids and earplugs can also accumulate bacteria, leading to an increased risk of ear infections.
Clean your devices every day with a cleaning kit. You should remove all wax, clean vents and wipe down the body of each device with a soft cloth before putting them back in your ears or into their charging case.
Bad Habit #2: Cleaning Your Ears With Cotton Swabs
Many of us grew up cleaning our ears with cotton swabs. Unfortunately, the habit is more dangerous than you might think. Putting objects like cotton swabs in your ears can lead to further wax impaction or a torn eardrum. Despite evidence that the practice is unsafe, a study with 229 completed surveys found that 95.6% of respondents reported cleaning their ears with cotton swabs.
Take spring as an opportunity to break away from that number and protect your ears in the long run. If you suspect you have an earwax blockage, call us for a professional removal.
Bad Habit #3: Playing Your Music Too Loud
It’s easy to raise your music above the hearing-safety threshold (85 decibels). Repeated or long-term exposure to sounds over 85 decibels can quickly cause permanent hearing damage. You can protect this precious sense by setting decibel limits on your phone and limiting the duration that you listen to music through headphones.
Cap off your spring cleaning with a trip to Hearing Systems for a hearing test and ear exam. We can provide you with safety tips and gather a baseline hearing to spot hearing loss quickly if it develops down the line. If you already wear hearing aids, call us for a service & repair appointment to ensure your devices continue to work their best.