For almost all of us, they are there as a matter of course – our ears. But hardly anyone gives serious thought to what we put our ears through every day. Because like every other of our sensory organs, our ears deserve very special care. This is the only way we can maintain good hearing into old age – and that is more important than ever in our noisy and turbulent environment.
We will show you how you can take care of your ears and look after your health at the same time with a few simple behaviours. So be all ears!
Take it down a notch – music knows more than just one volume
Of course, all of us like to listen to music. And it is perfectly understandable that we turn up the speakers or turn up the volume on our headphones when listening to our favourite song. But we should also give our ears a break in between. At some point, our brain loses the relationship to the volume we are listening to and fails to warn us that our ears need a break.
Try turning your music down a few notches and letting it sink in for a few minutes. You will be surprised how your perception changes.
But what happens when we expose our ears to too much volume at once?
In the long run, the high stress and constant overstimulation damages the fine hair cells in our inner ear. These cells are essential for converting sound waves into acoustic information for our brain. If these cells break down, the transmission is disturbed and our hearing deteriorates in the long term.
And a note to all of you who like to listen to music through in-ears:
Take the earplugs out now and then and let some air into your ear canal. Because what is an advantage for the sound can be an unexpected risk for your ear. By closing your ear canal for a long time, water can gradually accumulate there, which, in combination with your body temperature, is the perfect breeding ground for an infection.
Do not expose yourselves to unnecessary noise
Noise makes you sick – everyone knows that.
But what exactly happens when our hearing is repeatedly exposed to noise?
Each ear has 150,000 fine hair cells. If these are repeatedly subjected to too much stress by loud noises, they can kink and, in the worst case, even break off. Now, 150,000 sounds like so much at first that the loss of a few cells is not significant. But in the course of a human life this loss adds up and at some point gradual impairments become noticeable.
You should never let it get that far and in future you should consider when and for how long you want to expose yourself to which noise.
Did you already know?
Our hearing already perceives an increase of 10 decibels as a doubling of the volume.
So a passing train at 80 dB is twice as loud to our ears as a motorbike at 70 dB. And at an average of 90 dB, a jackhammer would be four times as loud. Do you really want to do that to your hearing without protection?
So next time, wear earplugs or avoid loud noises. Your ears will thank you.
Ear hygiene yes – but please do it properly!
“Wash your ears!”
We have certainly all heard these or similar sayings at one time or another. But as a rule, this is not necessary at all. By nature, our ear canals clean themselves and do not need to be cleaned regularly or extensively. However, if you do feel the need to give nature a helping hand, there is a simple rule that ENT doctors have been preaching for years:
Anything smaller than your own little finger does not belong in the ear canal. So stay away from tweezers or good old cotton buds! A little soap in the shower and the fingertip of your little finger is all you need.
And in case you didn’t know:
Earwax in the ear canal is not a sign of poor hygiene. In fact, it is very healthy because it keeps the ear canal moist and supple and at the same time prevents germs and tiny foreign bodies from getting deeper into the ear.
But please be gentle – blowing your nose with a cold
Everyone knows about a blocked or runny nose, especially in the cold season. And also the need to blow your nose properly. But be careful! Too much pressure can cause viruses and other pathogens from the mouth and throat to enter the ear and trigger a middle ear infection. This means that you not only have a double whammy of a cold, but you also run the risk of tinnitus or even hearing loss.
In such cases, it is worthwhile to reach for a nasal spray, inhale extensively and, if there is no other way, exercise a little restraint when blowing your nose. We advise you not to blow your nose loudly.
Would you like more helpful tips for everyday life?
Then visit our Tips & Tricks section. We would be delighted!