no pavamAna for our ears - They have to hear for years

[rajeshnat]

We are all abusing our ears , not just for listening to CM but at times with the mobile phones in our ears , coupled with very high sound pollution in the cities that we live, it looks that we all will get stone deaf in few decades for sure.

How to preserver our ears so that we continue to hear CM for years is my question?
Answer : I atleast do the following:
# One of my friends who is a jet airways pilot gave me a pair of sponges(dont know the exact name) that one can stuff in our ears , I used it a year back for atleast few high volume concerts.It was quite good though the feeling of foreign body was bit out of my comfort zone.

# I sit some what away from the speakers and I avoid generally the front half of the hall that too when there are those giant speakers placed in deck.

Few random questions that I can think of now:
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1.May I know if there is any exercise that can be done for our ears?

2. Is it a good idea to use all these Johnson buds periodically ??

3. Possibly should we avoid some foods to preserve our ears ?

4. Are there any ear longivity tips to cover your ears when you travel etc?

5. Is there a personal ear health check that we can do ourselves before submitting ourself to doctors?

6. Are there any instruments that can be done at home to measure your hearing capacity like those that are done for BP and diabetes ?

7. What about vidwans and vidushis who sit all thru day in and day out with the sound monitors and speakers , do they get any extra insight on how to preserve their hearing ?

RShankar or CML can lead this with their insight as they are in the medical profession ?If there are any ENT specialists in our forum, they can share their insights too? Would be happy to get answers to the above questions to start with?

[srikant1987]

Nice topic.

We are all abusing our ears , not just for listening to CM but at times with the mobile phones in our ears , coupled with very high sound pollution in the cities that we live, it looks that we all will get stone deaf in few decades for sure.

The cell phone is also said to damage your brain. That can probably be averted by using head-phones and mic to distance our ears (and mouth) from the phone. We can also use Loud Speaker option in many situations -- this should also be effective for the ears.

I have had ear infection many times, and some (unpleasant) experience myself.

# One of my friends who is a jet airways pilot gave me a pair of sponges(dont know the exact name) that one can stuff in our ears , I used it a year back for atleast few high volume concerts.It was quite good though the feeling of foreign body was bit out of my comfort zone.

A piece of cotton is surprisingly effective. It seems it's safe to apply a little "boroline" to it (source: a Kolkata ENT doctor). It can disinfect the cotton and the ear, and also act as an "adhesive", to prevent the cotton falling off. It IS a foreign body, and a sticky one at that.

2. Is it a good idea to use all these Johnson buds periodically ??

No, as far as I know. The best idea seems to be to go to a doctor even for a wax-caused blockage.

A better way to clean is to soften the wax with a fluid (disinfected water, a "safe" oil or "ear drops" -- some of which are allergic to me) can be used. Then, we can spray water inside with some force to get it out.

I've seen some syringes that can be used to do this advertised on the web, but there seems to be none which is self-use-safe, available in India.

3. Possibly should we avoid some foods to preserve our ears ?

It seems ginger, garlic and onion are good. Possibly a balance of "hot" and "cold" foods will help. Cold foods: cucumber, curd/milk, most fruits (lemon, orange, banana, coconut ...). Hot: tamarind, mango (raw and ripe), papaya ...

I find (temperature-wise) very cold foods to cause ear discomfort too.

4. Are there any ear longivity tips to cover your ears when you travel etc?

Plane travel is a foe to your ears, with the pressure changes it subjects your ears to. Sitting by the window in a (non-a/c) car, bus or train might expose one ear to much wind, which could be unpleasant: if the wind seems moderate otherwise, but there's great discomfort in the ear, I think that means an infection. Wear helmet in two-wheeler -- if the climate is harsh, cover the ear when walking too, with a muffler or turban, or at least the good old cotton. It feels better to have the whole ear covered.

Also, having the wind from fan or AC (or room heater) directly hit the ear must be a horrible idea.

7. What about vidwans and vidushis who sit all thru day in and day out with the sound monitors and speakers , do they get any extra insight on how to preserve their hearing ?

No clue. That's only on concert days, I expect -- except for electronic-instrument artistes. Nadaswaram/thavil vidwans may need special care. Maybe flautists too (blowing itself could be demanding, since the E, N and T are connected).

[VK RAMAN]

Hearing check is done free of cost in many cities in US for promoting costly hearing aids. People short in hearing are observed as keeping their TV or radio loud. One's kids can vouch for that.

[gardabha_gana]

If you have johnson buds - throw them out. That's what an ENT doc told me in the US. Whatever needs to come out will come out eventually else go to a doc and get the wax out.

[Nick H]

This is what English children are told: the only thing you should put in your ear is your elbow.

The major enemy of our ears is noise. Damage done by noise can never be undone. Once caused, it also gets worse as we get older (as well as natural ageing).

We should, through this forum, be able to reach some of the people who most threaten our hearing. Sabhas should realise that classical concerts are not rock concerts. Temple managers should understand that the gods are not deaf, but passers-by on the streets may well have their hearing damaged by those horrible speakers. Of course, it is not just the one religion that offends in this respect.

Is it possible to persuade the young that their portable players and party music or the noise in their cars may be causing them serious harm? I doubt it. Not listening (to advice) today means not being able to listen (to anything) tomorrow --- but I didn't take any such notice and I am suffering for it now.

Added to the obvious problems of hearing loss, especially to the music lover, is the fact that, of all disabilities, it is the one that is taken the least seriously. One is told to listen. One is told that it is not your ears, but you should pay attention. Except, perhaps, for the aged, the deaf person is generally treated as a nuisance. Even those close to us have to be perpetually told that we cannot make out their words from the next room, or even across the room, or even, in a crowd, when they are standing right next to us. Nobody tells the partially blind, "Oh, for goodness sake, see properly," or the lame that, if they make the right effort they can walk. Many disabilities lead to the showering of care or the acknowledgement of tragedy: deafness just gets impatience.

Yes... the subject touches a raw nerve for me

[srikant1987]

Many disabilities lead to the showering of care or the acknowledgement of tragedy: deafness just gets impatience.

And even ridicule.

Some "comedy" shows make jokes out of a (partially) deaf character. I recollect watching an "inda nAL iniya nAL" episode where Sri Sukki Sivam spoke against such "humour".

[Nick H]

ridicule. Yes, thanks... I forgot to include that word!

I have to admit that my frequent mishearings, when my brain would substitute the absurd for the unheard, were often a source of amusement even to me. But the joke, even to one to enjoys a laugh at themselves, wears thin eventually.

[rshankar]

Rajesh - As Nick has said, if you want to retain your hearing, less abuse would be the way to go - noise abuse destroys the sensitive cells in the cochlea that help transmit acoustic signals as electrical impulses to the brain via the cochlear nerve, and therefore this type of damage is rather hard to treat. The damage is worsened, or can occur earlier in the genetically predisposed, and just as presbyopia (cALESvaram in tamizh) due to age-related changes in the lens of the eye, presbycusis is an age-related change in the hearing; presbycusis can occur earlier with noise-abuse.
As far as cleaning out the ears, allowing water to enter the ears during showers is probably the best way to prevent the earwax from hardening up. If the ear drum is perforated, then, it is advised not to let water get into your ears; same if there is evidence of otitis externa - an infection of the external ear canal, which while painful should not affect acuity. Hard ear wax can reduce hearing, especially if it gets impacted, and can be softened by using some over-the-counter solvents, but it is best to consult an ENT specialist first because 'syringing' may be necessary. In the US, Debrox and Waxsolve/Waxsol both work. Using an earbud to remove hardened wax may not be safe. But damage to the ear drum can be surgically fixed, and hearing restored, if hearing is affected by a perforated ear drum from any cause. It is hearing loss due to nerve/cochlea damage that is irreversible.
I am not a big fan of temperature changes affecting hearing - the pain felt in the ears in the cold is usually in the pinna and should not affect acuity. Similarly, I am not really sure about the data that link changes in temperature and middle ear infections - the middle ear is the part of the ear that extends from the drum to the cochlea and infections in this area are common among young children and do impair acuity - frequent and chronic infections before a child learns to speak will affect speech development. Changes in hearing that accompany changes in barometric pressure are common, but usually transient - swallowing, sucking on hard candy and swallowing or blowing out with your mouth closed and nostrils pinched will help open up the eustachian tube that drains the middle ear into the throat, and equalizes pressure across the eardrums and restores the temporary reduction in hearing. Most of the hearing loss suffered by people in the aviation industry like pilots is due to noise damage.
In today's world, I would blame the ubiquitous earbud microphones for hearing loss...the present-day teens (mine included) can't their parents because they have their ears plugged, and over time they will face a situation where they can't hear their kids, because of noise abuse!

[srikant1987]

In the title "They have to hear for years" might be more appropriate.