If you were to participate in a survey to determine the most important sense organ, which one would prick up your ears? Recently, my attention was drawn to one such survey where participants answered this question: of the five senses, which one are you most afraid of losing? The sense of sight, however, got the highest number of votes and here is the reason adduced—people lose independence when they lose the ability to see more than when they lose any other sense organ.

I do not really intend to join in this debate; regardless of what the most important sense is, hearing, in my opinion, runs it a close second. Living with hearing loss is a life shorn of some of the trappings as well. Most folks believe this fact and really want to take good care of their ears; but good intentions to keep ears clean may, sadly, be risking the ability to hear.

Now hearing loss, according to U.K National Health Service—N.H.S, results when sound signals fail to reach the brain. In their opinion, there are two main types of hearing loss, depending on where the problem lies. The first is sensorineural hearing loss—which is “caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve and it occurs naturally with age or as a result of injury.” The second type is the conductive hearing loss which occurs “when sounds are unable to pass from your outer ear to your inner ear, often because of a blockage such as ear wax, glue ear or a build-up of fluid from an ear infection, or because of a perforated ear drum or disorder of the hearing bones.”

At this point, let’s zero in on one of the commonest causes of hearing loss—ear wax. Medically referred to as cerumen and produced in the outer one-third of your ear canal, wax blockage, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology—that is specialists in ear, nose and throat ENT, is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Wax blockage, also known as cerumen impaction, is often caused by attempts to clean the ear with cotton buds—a cotton-tipped applicator. Most cleaning attempts merely push the wax deeper into the ear canal, where it can harden and cause pain and hearing problems. Earwax can also block your ear if you frequently insert objects into your ear canal, such as ear plugs or hearing aids.

The ENT experts advise that the ear is a delicate and intricate area, including the skin of the ear canal and the eardrum. It therefore requires special care and this excludes probing the ear with sharp objects which can puncture your eardrum and damage the small bones—that is the hammer, anvil and stirrup—the smallest bones in the body, inside your ear. Most importantly, experts add that “earwax is not formed in the deep part of the ear canal near the eardrum; when a patient has wax blockage against the eardrum, it is often because he or she has been probing the ear with such things as cotton-tipped applicators, bobby pins, or twisted napkin corners. These objects only push the wax in deeper”.

But why do the ear make wax when it could increase risk of hearing loss?
Earwax may not be pleasant to look at, but it’s there for a purpose. Now hear this: the Chicago-based American Hearing Research Foundation, 2008, says that apart from providing lubrication, it protects ears from infection as it has antimicrobial activity, stops dust, dirt, bugs, and other crud from getting into your ear canal. It would interest you to know that there are two distinct types of earwax; but genetics determine the type your ear would make. According to Overfield, Theresa (1985), Africans and Europeans are more likely to have the wet type (honey-brown to dark-brown and moist), which is dominant, while Asians and Native Americans are more likely to have the dry type of cerumen (gray and flaky). On the other hand, the absence of earwax may result in dry, itchy ears says the American Academy of Otolaryngology.

How often should you clean your ear?
Interestingly, otolaryngologists—experts in ear, nose and throat says “under ideal circumstances, the ear canals should never have to be cleaned.” This is because the ear canal is structured in such a way that it cleans itself. Here is how it does it: “there is a slow and orderly migration of earwax and skin cells from the eardrum to the ear opening”. Every time you chew or move your jaw, you’re helping move old earwax from your ear canal to your ear opening where the wax dries and then falls out.
Hear the full story from the link below:
http://zemellive.com/listen-cotton-bud-ear-plugs-increase-risk-of-hearing-loss/

Wish I can listen to this simple advice!




But sometimes I finish 3 packs of 50 pcs cotton buds in a month just don't no why!



Cheeeeeers