HOW TO PROPERLY CARE FOR YOUR EARS

We often take our ears for granted, but damage to them can have long-term effects on our health. We look at how we can take better care of our ears.

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In this day and age, we tend to expose our ears to a lot of noise. A. Lot. Our ears play an important part in our daily lives; they help us communicate with other people, to listen to music, to watch TV, to detect our surroundings. It is safe to say that sound makes up most of our days.

From Ear To Hear
For us to be able to perceive sound, there is a complex process that takes place. It’s our ears’ task to convert sound waves in their most basic form to something that we can understand. Sound waves travel from source to ear, where they enter the ear canal and move towards the eardrum.

These waves vibrate the eardrum and the tiny bones in the middle ear, which converts them into electric signals. The auditory nerve picks up these signals and sends them off to the brain where they’re interpreted as sound as we perceive it. Loud sounds are likely to do damage to the parts of the ear that the sound waves pass through.

The shape of your ears is not just a family trait passed on through the generations; it contributes to your hearing, intensifies the loudness of sound and helps determine where the sound is coming from. Interestingly, different-shaped and -sized ears don’t perceive sound differently.

Limit The Load
It is important to remember that the wonderful organ allowing us to hear also has its limits. If we don’t take care of it, our well-being could be negatively affected. Many of us don’t even realise when a sound is too loud for our ears.

Ever sat in traffic and listened to the noise of running engines, passing motorbikes and honking hooters? Maybe you’re preoccupied, listening to your favourite tunes on the radio. Have you recently been to a crowded bar or busy restaurant or concert? Think of those workouts with earphones jammed into your ears.

Chances are, these were all sounds that were too loud for your ears but you didn’t realise. As fun as those tunes banging in your ears can be, they can also be quite dangerous. So just how loud is too loud? The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that safe listening depends not only on how loud the sounds are, but how often and for how long we are exposed to them.

The suggested duration depends on the volume. Louder noises should be listened to less often and for a shorter period, while noises that are softer can be listened to more often and for longer. Sounds of less than 85 decibels are recommended as safe for our hearing and overall well-being.

The American Academy of Audiology created a list of the decibel levels of common daily sounds. A whisper is 30 decibels, a normal conversation about 60 decibels. Loud noises, which fall between 70 and 80 decibels, include a vacuum cleaner and traffic. Sounds that are too loud include hairdryers (90 decibels), ambulance sirens (130 decibels) and fireworks (140 decibels).


Effects Of Noise
Excessive exposure to noises above 85 decibels damages the ear’s internal structure, leading to hearing problems. Loud noises damage the delicate hair follicles found in the cochlea of the ear, which are needed to send signals to the brain to perceive sound. If these follicles continue to be damaged, it isn’t possible for the signals to be sent to the brain, ultimately leading to hearing loss.

Several studies have also shown the negative effect of sound on our overall health and well-being. A 2013 study in The Lancet medical journal found that frequent exposure to noise results in cognitive impairment, irritability, sleeplessness, increased stress levels and cardiovascular issues.

The Noise & Health journal published a study showing that traffic noise increased stress, tension and blood pressure in participants, linking loud noises with the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke.

Protect Your Ears
We are so accustomed to the daily noises of the world around us that we don’t realise the effect it has. It’s therefore important to take precautions:

• Limit your exposure to sounds that may be too loud by wearing earplugs. They allow you to hear normal conversations and music but reduce the harmful volumes.
• If you like to pump up the jam, whether in your car or while using earphones, think of your ears before you turn it up to the max. The louder the noise, the less you should listen. (This also applies to other noises, such as the TV.)
• Limit your time in noisy places and loud social gatherings. Give your ears a rest every now and then by doing something quiet.
• Don’t stick foreign objects into your ears – and this includes earbuds, which can harm the eardrum. Instead, use a damp cloth to clean the inside of your ears.

Did You Know?
We are able to hear while we sleep. It’s thought that we tend to wake up from certain sounds if they are important to us, such as someone calling your name.

Headphones vs Earphones Is one safer than the other?
Both of these devices can cause complications, such as ear pain as a result of constant high volumes and even hearing loss (temporary or permanent).

Some are lucky to regain their hearing, while others must live with the effects. So, should you steer away from both earphones and headphones?

• Earphones/buds pose a much greater threat. While headphones are placed outside of the ear, earphones go inside the ear, meaning the sound waves are much closer to the ear’s internal structures. This causes the sound to be amplified, thus increasing the volume even more.
• Headphones can also damage the ear and your hearing if you don’t take the necessary precautions. Avoid listening to music that is too loud, and it’s also best not to use your headphones too often.

Text by: Bianca Muller
Photograph: Pexels