World Hearing Day – Let’s Talk Ears

Why is hearing important?

We, humans, are social animals. Research tells us that we thrive on social interaction and it benefits both our physical and mental health and our cognitive health and lengthens our life expectancy (Kochkin & Rogin, 2000; WHO, 2021; & Oyler 2012).

The implications of undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss can be significant. It can lead to several issues such as avoidance of social situations, social rejection, loneliness, low mood and more. A report on dementia prevention, intervention and care (Livingston et al, 2020) concluded that hearing loss is a major risk factor for dementia but crucially, is modifiable with hearing intervention.

What causes hearing loss?

The ear is split into different parts; outer, middle and inner.

All of these parts can be affected by different conditions that might result in hearing loss. Some example causes of hearing loss are:

• Presbyacusis (age-related hearing loss)
• Noise-induced hearing loss
• Impacted earwax
• Infection
• Glue ear (a mucus blockage in the middle ear)
• Genetics
• Head trauma
• Ototoxicity (some medicines such as aminoglycosides and platinum-based drugs)

For a more detailed explanation of the ear, how we hear and the causes of hearing loss visit “understanding your hearing”.

How do I know if I have a hearing loss?

Several signs might indicate that you have hearing loss. Here are some of them:

• Significant others might mention that you are struggling to hear them.
• Your TV or radio volume is too loud for others.
• You often have to ask people to repeat themselves.
• Difficulty following conversations in groups and noisy environments or feeling left out.
• Difficulty hearing on the phone.
• Avoiding social events due to hearing difficulties.

How do hearing aids help?

Hearing aids help us live life to the full. They enable us to take part in conversations and access entertainment more easily, help us feel safer, improve our confidence and increase our desire to be around others. Hearing aids reduce the amount of effort required to communicate and therefore reduce cognitive strain. Evidence indicates that wearing hearing aids plays a role in protecting against dementia (Livingston et al, 2020) and has an overall positive impact on both the hearing aid user and significant other (Kochkin & Rogin, 2000).

Modern hearing aids are highly sophisticated devices that are packed with technology and features designed to give the very best possible speech understanding and user comfort.

Interesting facts about our ears

• Your ears contain the smallest muscle in the body, the stapedius muscle. The muscle measures in at less than one centimetre! It may be tiny but it plays an important role in dampening loud vibrations and protecting our hearing.
• Did you know that the same nerve supplies the outer ear and the throat and in some people (about 2-3%) touching the ear canal can cause a cough reflex.
• There is a connection between earwax type and armpit odour! Due to genetics, those with wet earwax will also produce body odour.
• Our ears never sleep! Signals are still passed on to the brain and it is then the job of the brain to choose whether to ignore these or react. A classic example might be a parent waking to the slightest noise from their newborn child. This noise is classified as important and is prioritised causing the parent to wake.
• Our ears are self-cleaning. That’s right, you can ditch the cotton buds. The ear canal skin lining gradually migrates outwards like a conveyor belt bringing small bits of wax with it. Wax itself acts as a lubricant and collects dust and dirt and eventually falls out of the ear. So you can leave your ears alone unless you are suffering from symptoms such as pain, hearing loss, or tinnitus and then you should consult a professional and have any wax removed safely.

How can I look after my ears?

Generally speaking, just leave them alone. Your ears do not need to be cleaned as in most cases they manage this themselves. Try to keep them dry and if you are concerned about your hearing or ear health, consult your doctor or a hearing care professional and book a hearing assessment.

If you like your music, noisy activities or working in a noisy environment then strongly consider protecting your ears. Noise exposure, even brief, can lead to permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.

At Ceda Ear Clinic you can have a personalised impression taken of your ears and a pair of custom earplugs made. These are super comfortable and contain filters that reduce dangerous noise levels whilst still enabling you to hear and your ears to breathe.

Find out more on how to look after your ears.

References:

Oyler, A. (2012). Untreated hearing loss in adults [online]. Available from: https://www.asha.org/articles/untreated-hearing-loss-in-adults/ [Accessed 23 February 2023].

Kochkin, S. & Rogin, C. M. (2000). Quantifying the obvious: the impact of hearing instruments on quality of life [online]. Available from: https://hearingreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/KochkinRogin_QuantifyingObvious_0100HR.pdf [Accessed 23 February 2023].

Livingston, G. et al (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission [online]. Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext [Accessed 23 February 2023].

World Health Organization. (2023). Deafness and hearing loss [online]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/hearing-loss#tab=tab_1 [Accessed 22 February 2023].