Healthy Ears......

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Our ears require very little

maintenance. Here are some hints to protect and keep them healthy:

NEVER, ever use cotton-tipped

applicators in your ears. Cerumen, or ear wax, is natural, lubricates the

canal, catches dirt particles, and is naturally moved to the outside.

If you remove the cerumen,

your ears will most likely become itchy.

Using applicators in the

ear canal can push the wax deeply into the canal creating even more difficult

removal, scratch the canal with resulting infection, tear the skin of the

canal with bleeding, or perforate or tear the ear drum.

If children see adults using

applicators in their ears, they mimic the adults, using them in their own

ears -- often with disastrous results.

To clean the wax:

Clean the cerumen from the

outer ear canal with a moist washcloth wrapped around your finger.

Provided there is not a perforation

or hole in the ear drum, limited use of wax removal drops or hydrogen peroxide

in the ear as well as allowing warm shower water to enter the canal will

help soften and remove the wax.

Other:

It is not recommended to

remove the cerumen with a bulb syringe. Its tip may scratch the canal,

starting an infection.

Never " candle "

your ear. This has been proved totally ineffective and sometimes dangerous.

If the wax does not come

out of your ear easily, see your physician.

Avoid loud sounds:

Exposure to loud music, fireworks,

firearms, motorcycles, aircraft, power tools, and other sources of loud

sound may cause permanent nerve-type hearing loss even with one exposure!

Tinnitus, or ringing in the

ear, often accompanies such loss and is also often permanent.

When exposed to loud noise,

always wear adequate approved ear protection.

Keep children away from such

sounds; they can permanently lose their hearing, too.