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Ear Health
Reviews & Information
This is a section dedicated to things that are not exactly hearing aid related but instead deal with the health of ears and some ailments that actually can cause hearing damage. There are a number of illnesses and situations that can arise which cause hearing damage and it is valuable to be aware them. Swimmers ear can be damaging to ears but is easily remedied. Swimmers ear is a bacterial infection. The bacteria usually infect the thin layer of skin protecting the ear canal.
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As you could probably guess, swimmers ear is often caused by water being trapped in the ear canal. It can be caused by swimming or showering but this is very rare.
The name is a bit misleading in that it makes people paranoid to go swimming when this should not be the case.
While swimmers ear is a real thing, it rarely becomes serious enough to cause serious damage and force the need to use hearing aids. Swimmers ear is also known as acute external otitis.
Ruptured ear drums are also rather common ailment that are worth discussing as they can certainly cause hearing damage and require the use of hearing aids ultimately.
A ruptured eardrum occurs when a rip happens in the eardrum. The eardrum is the thin skin that seems like a drum which divides the middle ear from the canal.
The challenges with ruptured ear drums are two-fold. One, they make the person vulnerable to infection and two; they can result in hearing loss.
Worst case scenario, ruptured ear drums require surgery to heal. Best case scenario, ruptured ear drums heal themselves in less than three weeks. Ruptured ear drums often occur during high impact sports. The ear drum is so thin which makes it understandable how ruptures can occur during physical activity.
There does not seem to be overwhelming evidence that certain age groups are more prone to ruptured ear drums but certainly those more active are at more risk. Ruptured ear drums do not happen more frequently in either men or women -- it is an equal opportunity ailment!
For more information on Swimmers Ear, please watch this informative (though goofy) video:
Learn More: Hearing Tests
