Taking care of your ears is essential to prevent infections and hearing loss. Here are some simple yet crucial DOs and DON'Ts recommended by ENT specialists.
✓ DO's
- Clean your ears, when wet, after taking a bath using a cotton cloth or a soft towel.
- Always use a head cap covering your ears while swimming.
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Air travel precautions:
- • Continue swallowing while taking off.
- • Balloon your cheeks with nose closed while landing.
- Always feed your baby milk in a head-up or sitting position. Feeding in a lying down position can make the baby more prone to ear infections due to regurgitation of milk.
- If you get your ear pierced, clean the site regularly with soap and water. Avoid wearing heavy hanging earrings for long periods to prevent ear lobule splitting.
✕ DON'Ts
- Never use ear buds to clean ears; it can lead to ear canal and drum injury.
- Do not insert any sharp objects like hair pins or pens into your ears.
- Do not slap on the ear; it can cause ear drum rupture.
- Do not use earphones with loud music for long hours. It can cause nerve deafness which cannot be cured.
- Do not ignore childhood deafness. A child who cannot hear can never speak. Infancy deafness should be treated as early as possible.
- Do not put oil, neem juice, or hydrogen peroxide in the ears; it can cause ear infection.
- Do not self-treat. In case of any ear problem, consult an ENT expert and say no to roadside quacks.
Healthy ears mean a better quality of life. Take care of them!
