Category Archives: earcare

Ear plugs offered by the Canton Chapter of Quota International

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Ear plugs are being offered to local businesses and audiologists as an incentive to healthy hearing by the Canton Chapter of Quota International.

The group, Quota International provides services to people with hearing or speech difficulties as well as services for disadvantaged women and children across the world.

The Canton chapter raises funds annually to support community activities, provide scholarships for colleges and holiday dinner for girls at the Multi-County Juvenile Attention Centre as well as honouring a person in a community that is making a difference or a deaf teen.

Healthy hearing is extremely important in everyday life it helps us communicate with others, helps us balance and enjoy the sounds of whatever life throws at us. Hearing damage can have a lot of disheartening effects such as depression, isolation and anxiety so it is increasingly important to protect your hearing whenever necessary and the younger you are when you begin to protect your hearing the better quality of life you will have when you are older.

The best way to protect your hearing is by wearing a pair of ear plugs when you feel your ear ringing (which is a sign of tinnitus) or when you think the sound levels are just too high.

If ever in doubt of the level of noises that are omitted when for instance at a concert, noise reduction ear plugs are always the safest option when it comes to protecting your hearing.

Can ear plugs damage your hearing?

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Recently I have been hearing a lot of concerns over sleeping with ear plugs in, worrying that it may cause permanent hearing damage, but getting aggravated that they can’t retain a good night’s sleep. Summer is a season we always happy to welcome back, but we constantly moan about the lack of sleep we get due to the birds and early sunrises.

There are two simple solutions to this problem; sleep masks and ear plugs, and while I’m here I will put these concerns to rest with a few quick facts:

FACT 1: Sleeping and snoring ear plugs are designed for you to sleep with them in, they are perfectly safe to sleep in.

FACT 2: It has been shown in studies that long-term of foam ear plugs can cause wax to build up

FACT 3: If you constantly wear to ear plugs to get a good night sleep, maybe you have to block out the sound of your partner’s snore, custom ear plugs are the ideal choice for you, they are easy to clean, comfortable to wear and reduce having a build up of wax.

Hyperacusis in the news

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I was reading a newspaper article recently and there was a very interesting topic on hearing problem, hyperacusis. Singer-song writer Chris Singleton suffered from this condition, which put a strain on his career and relationship with his girlfriend. His ears became extremely sensitive to everyday sounds, such as the sound of espresso machines and mobile ringtones.

Chris told the Independent; “It started with the sensation of a ‘fullness’ in my ears, a bit like the experience you might have after swimming,” he says. “Then, within weeks, the most commonplace noises were becoming excruciating.”

“I suffered from it for the best part of a year and it affected every aspect of my life. I had moved to London to be with my girlfriend, Emma, and it put a real strain on our relationship. I was angry and irritable all the time and she would have to tip-toe around me. During arguments, we would have to whisper rather than shout.”

To make sure he could hear without having constant pains in his ears, Chris wore attenuating earplugs to lower the level of sound emitted whilst still being able to hear conversations.

In the studio, when he was mixing his first album at Abbey Road, Chris found himself in an embarrassing situation, having to tell the engineer to turn the volume down. “He looked at me like I had lost my mind”.

After a while and countless appointments with the doctor, Chris Singleton was diagnosed with the rare medical condition of hyperacusis, in which he had to refrain from wearing the earplugs and attend regular appointments at a hearing therapist.

“It’s made me appreciate my hearing, that’s for sure. I’m careful not to wear headphones that much and when I’m playing or at a gig I wear special musician’s earplugs.”

H.E.A.R

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Hearing maybe one of the few things we take for granted, but imagine your life without being able to hear your favourite song, the gossip the girls are discussing, programmes showed on the television and debates on the radio. Hearing is one of the most important aspects of development from the day that we are born and with the demand for having everything louder we need to protect our sensitive hearing.

Levels of sound should never be over 90 decibels as this can have an effect on your hearing if exposed for too long on a regular basis, so it is advisable to wear protective ear plugs.

This has been the message that H.E.A.R (Hearing Education Association for Rockers) has been sending for over 20 years. The association set up in San Francisco, America is known worldwide for creating awareness of hearing loss to professional musicians and general rockers. Set up by bass player, Kathy Peck of The Contradictions and physician Flash Gordon M.D in 1988, the idea came after Kathy went to an extremely loud gig.

Kathy previously suffered from hearing problems as in 1984, which brought a stop to her career, but pushed her into getting H.E.A.R set up and running. The organisation has come through leaps and bounds and through the support of various respected names such as MTV, Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Pete Townshend of The Who, along with many others it has become a globally recognised name in itself.

For rockers the best protection to have can be sourced from Musician earplugs or Noise reduction earplugs. I have found that these are ideal for taking with you to loud gigs, but earplugs are also great for taking with you to festivals and other musical events.

With constant exposure to extreme sounds your hearing can quickly degenerate, so it is increasingly important to get your ears checked by a doctor once a year and to have the right protection.

Facts about Swimmers Ear

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All you need to know about Swimmer’s Ear can be found in this quick fact sheet I have put together for you. I have briefly explained what swimmers ear is in a recent blog and why swimmers use earplug to prevent the condition. However, this guide will tell you about the signs of swimmers ear and what measures to take to prevent any future infection.

  • Swimmers ear is an infection that is found in the external ear and outer part of the ear canal.
  • With the infection you may experience swollenness, redness and soreness
  • You may experience itching, which can set off the pain and may notice discharge from the ear.
  • There is a subtle difference between otitis externa (swimmer’s ear) and otitis media, which is a middle ear infection. To distinguish the infection wiggle or pull your ear, if you can do this without any discomfort or pain you will have the symptoms of Otitis Media.
  • Using cotton wool swabs can make you more susceptible to swimmer’s ear.
  • The most common cause is the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa which is commonly found in water, soil and plants.
  • It is not contagious, but should be treated with antibiotics

If you are experiencing the symptoms of swimmer’s ear or otitis externa (the medical term) it is extremely important to contact your local GP for information and guidance on treating the infection.

If you or your child has had an encounter with the infection, here are some tips to prevent the chance of having swimmers ear returning in the future:

  • After swimming, make sure your ears are dry, the simple use of an ear dryer could be the answer you have been looking for.
  • The use of eardrops could also help prevent ear infections
  • Children should not use cotton swabs to clean their ears, or be left to clean their ears unsupervised.
  • Make sure the chlorine levels are at a safe level and do not swim in contaminated water.

Hearing screening for newborns

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It has been reported that one to two babies in every 1000 are born with a hearing loss in one or both ears and that is why the NHS has set up the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme. This programme aims to identify any hearing impairment in the early stages of development to help give children a better chance of developing speech and language skills.

In recent reports a baby girl was born profoundly deaf, but has since benefitted from the NHS programme. To help identify the seriousness of baby Bride’s condition, medics ran a series of tests, launched by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHT Trust seven years ago. Baby Bride was then fitted with two cochlear implants, which has improved her hearing outstandingly.   However in January this year Miss Bride lost her hearing again due to unknown circumstance, but has yet been fitted with new implants.

Another way medics have been treating children with hearing impairment is the use of ear tubes, which recently have concerned doctors using them with children with cochlear implants due to increased complications.  However, after recent studies it is now considered safe for children to wear ear tubes with cochlear implants.

Hearing loss in babies has become more concerning for parents and now under the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme all parents are offered the chance to have their child’s hearing tested within the first few weeks.

Vuvuzela’s World Cup – grab your earplugs

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What can be said about the World cup? Good football, great crowds, but a bit noisy?

The vuvuzela has been dominating the sound of the World Cup and with the ban of these instruments being ruled out they are set to carry on making their noisy mark. In the stands people have been complaining about the level of noise that these horn blowers make and back in the UK, the same criticisms are being made.

According to FIFA the vuvuzela is part of African footballing culture and so organisers have discarded the idea of putting a ban in place. However, the sound that comes from these plastic horns can have deafening effects to the spectators in the stands. Apparently the instruments can reach up to 130 decibels, which is the same level of noise that comes from a fired shotgun and the same level of the sound threshold for pain.

We have been constantly told that if we are exposed to high level frequencies for a substantial amount of time, we run the risk of irreversible hearing damage or worse deafness. These loud noises coming from the African horns can damage the little hairs (cilia) in the inner ear, which are responsible for receiving noise vibrations and sending these signals to the brain where they are interpreted. Once the cilia are damaged the body cannot repair them and overtime, permanent and irreversible damage to your hearing can occur.

At the World Cup eager spectators have become aware of the effects the vuvuzela tune can have on their hearing and are opting for protection when watching the matches. Football fans across the globe are investing in apparently, “vuvu-stop” earplugs, which have been selling out across the stadiums, according to recent reports.
Personally, I am glad I’m not over there with all the bellowing sounds coming from the horns, but not hearing the commentary rather does irritate me. The family and I sit in the living room with our friends to enjoy the football, but due to the invading sound of the vuvuzela we can’t hear the commentary as well as we had hoped. This is because the vuvuzela shares a similar frequency to human speech, which unfortunately can’t be blocked, unless we put the TV on mute! You would think with the amount of microphones they have at the BBC, they would be able to turn the volume down on the microphone situated in the stadiums?

However, there is good news for those who are soon to be flying off to South Africa. Instead of queuing to purchase your “vuvu-stop” earplugs, why not try using noise reducing earplugs as they allow you to enjoy the rest of the beautiful game, whilst protecting your hearing. Plus it will save you the hassle of queuing with the concern they might have sold out before you get there and worse, you’ve missed the first 5 minutes of the match!

How Earplugs Improve Your Quality of Life

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Are earplugs really that important? How can something so small, inexpensive earplugs make such a big impact on a person’s life as to improve the quality? We worry about many areas of health, yet tend to neglect our hearing health. The fact is, hearing loss is very prevalent and common in aging as well as in younger adults who are exposed to loud music via music venues, iPods and handheld gaming devices.

Think about it this way, most factory workers exposed to noise on a regular basis protect their hearing through the use of work earplugs, but you might be exposed to similar noises in the course of a day and never protect your hearing. Turn up an iPod to full blast (as many teens do) and you have the equivalent of listening to heavy machinery. Many common noises are just as dangerous as industrial noises: mowing the lawn, listening to a concert, music in a club, children’s toys. Continue reading →

Holiday Gift Ideas for Pampering and Hearing Protection

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The silly season is right around the corner. Have you started your shopping or perhaps you enjoy the thrill of shopping on Christmas Eve and scooping up on the big sales. I can’t believe there was a time in my life where I waited until Christmas Eve to shop for everyone on my list. In one evening, I’d have all the shopping done in 3 hours and then spend the next few hours with a bottle of wine and rolls of wrapping paper.

Not anymore! With children, you have to plan quite some time in advance, and my days of a relaxing Christmas Eve shopping and wrapping presents are long done. The one salvation of Christmas shopping these days when you have children is the internet! No more paying a sitter so you can shop or asking your spouse to “baby sit” and then hear all the grumbling when you arrive home. Don’t you just love hearing those disparaging remarks after you’ve just spent 5 hours searching every store for the most popular toy of the season? “Why did it take you so long? Did you make the toys yourself?” Ugh! Continue reading →

Inner and Outer Noises

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I recently read some interesting stuff on sound. We tend to think about sound in terms of music, voices, sounds in nature and so forth. Sound is very important. It’s how we communicate and it can be a great form of entertainment. At the same time, it can be annoying or even menacing if it disturbs our sleep.

Protecting your hearing with noise-reducing earplugs or musician’s earplugs can ensure a lifetime of hearing sweet sounds. You can also use earplugs such as sleeping earplugs to block the types of sound that cause distress. But what about the sound you hear in your own head? Do you need to protect yourself from sounds that have nothing to do with your ears? Continue reading →