National Audiology Awareness Month

October is National Protect Your Hearing Month and National Audiology Awareness Month, and there’s no better time to learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing.

Here are four tips to encourage family and friends to practice healthy hearing habits and tips for dealing with hearing aids. Protect your hearing!

TIP 1: EXERCISE

Did you know that exercise is good for your ears? Cardio exercises like walking, running, or cycling gets the blood pumping to all parts of your body, including the ears. Blood circulation helps the ears’ internal components stay healthy and working to their maximum potential. Keep moving!

TIP 2: STOP USING COTTON SWABS

The instinct when cleaning your ears is to grab a cotton swab, but that can cause earwax blockages. Sticking a cotton swab in your ear often just pushes wax deeper into the ear, which can cause severe damage to the lining of your ear canal or eardrum.

1) Soften the wax. Use an eyedropper to apply a few drops of baby oil, mineral oil, glycerin, or hydrogen peroxide in your ear canal. Those who have a history of ear surgery or eardrum perforation should never instill such drops unless advised to do so by a physician.

2) Use warm water. When the wax softens after a day or two, use a rubber-bulb syringe to gently squirt warm water into your ear canal. Tilt your head and pull your outer ear up and back to straighten your ear canal. When finished irrigating, tip your head to the side to let the water drain out.

3) Dry your ear canal. When finished, gently dry your outer ear with a towel or hand-held dryer.

TIP 3: QUICK HEARING AIDS FIXES

Here are a few common hearing aid fixes you can try right now:

1) Replace the battery

2) Remove and reinsert your hearing aid

3) Clean your hearing aid

4) Replace the wax filter

5) Open and close the battery compartment

6) Check your input settings

TIP 4: 60/60 RULE

According to the Mayo Clinic, a good rule of thumb is to follow the 60/60 rule. We recommend that your headphone volume be no higher than 60 percent of the maximum level for only 60 minutes. Give your ears a break from the sound!

We encourage family and friends to practice these healthy hearing habits. Check out a recent blog post for more tips on protecting your hearing and some facts about audiology and hearing!