Changsha Fourth Hospital: Healthy hearing, barrier-free communication, please “listen” carefully to these ear care tips!

Ears are an important organ for us to perceive the world. However, hearing loss is quietly affecting the lives of more and more people. March 3, 2025 is the 26th National Ear Care Day. This year's theme is "Healthy Listening, Unimpeded Communication". Today, an otolaryngologist from Changsha Fourth Hospital will talk to you about how to love your ears.

1. To protect your hearing, you need to:

1. Stay away from noise pollution

Prolonged exposure to high-decibel noise can cause irreversible damage to hearing. It is recommended that you minimize exposure to noise in your daily life and wear earplugs or earmuffs for protection when necessary.

2. Avoid improper ear digging

Frequent ear cleaning can easily damage the skin of the external auditory canal and even cause infection. It is recommended that you do not use cotton swabs or other tools to clean your ears. If there is earwax blockage, please seek medical attention in time.

3. Use ototoxic drugs with caution

Some drugs, such as streptomycin and gentamicin, are ototoxic and improper use may lead to hearing loss. It is recommended that you read the instructions carefully before using the drug and take the drug according to the doctor's advice.

4. Control the headphone volume

When using headphones, the volume should not be too loud and the time should not be too long. It is recommended to follow the "60-60" principle, that is, the volume should not exceed 60% of the maximum volume, and the continuous use time should not exceed 60 minutes.

5. Don’t answer the phone for a long time

Answering the phone for a long time will make your ears tired. It is recommended to use headphones or hands-free function and pay attention to rest.

6. Keep your ears clean and dry

Dry your ears promptly after swimming or bathing to prevent dirty water from entering the ear canal and causing infection.

2. If 3 or more of the following conditions occur, please seek medical attention immediately:

① Often you don’t hear people greeting you from behind;

② Talking to others for a long time will make you feel tired;

③ Often ask the other party to repeat what they just said during the conversation;

④You need to turn up the volume to hear clearly when watching TV;

⑤ Often can’t hear the doorbell or phone ringing;

⑥It is difficult to hear nearby friends talking in a noisy environment;

⑦ It is difficult to hear the conversation clearly when talking on the phone;

⑧ Frequent intermittent ear closure and tinnitus, or even long-lasting ear closure and tinnitus;

⑨ Others need to raise their voices or lean closer to your ear in order to chat with you normally;

⑩ Speak incoherently and react slowly.

Doctors remind that if you have ear discomfort, please seek medical attention in time for early diagnosis and treatment. For the wonderful world of sound, please take good care of your ears!

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Gan Mengjun from Changsha Fourth Hospital

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(Edited by YT)