The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in a lot of ways – from Zoom meetings, online school, hoarding toilet paper, and baking banana bread, life has been a little different for us all over the past year and a half.
Finding a quiet place to work at home can be challenging for those that have transitioned into working from home. For many, this has led to a significant increase in the use of earbuds (such as, when participating in online meetings, or just trying to reduce some background noise to concentrate on work).
We have seen more patients coming in with ear infections and significant wax buildup than we have in the 2 years prior to the Pandemic!
Why? Read below to see how earbuds can increase your risk for infection and wax buildup.
How do earbuds cause ear infections?
When was the last time you cleaned or sanitized your earbuds? You might answer this question with another question: “Wait, I’m supposed to be cleaning my earbuds”? Think of where your earbuds have been – they go in your ears, you might set them down on a table, they go into a case (that probably has also not been cleaned or sanitized). This leaves plenty of opportunities for germs and bacteria to enter your ear and potentially cause an infection.
What should I do about it?
- Clean your earbuds. It is always best to follow the manufacturer-recommended tips on how to properly clean or disinfect your earbuds.
a. Apple’s recommendations can be found here: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208729
b. Bose’s recommendations can be found here: https://www.bose.ca/en_ca/support/articles/HC338/productCodes/qc30/article.html - Use over-the-ear headphones whenever possible.
- Give your ears a break – try to reduce the amount of time spent wearing earbuds.
- Use of one our UVC-Sanitizers to clean and sanitize them (can be purchased at our AudioSense)
How do earbuds cause wax buildup?
It is important to have some earwax in your ears. Earwax protects the eardrum by trapping things like dirt and dust in the ear canal. It also keeps the ear canals moisturized, preventing dry, itchy ears.
Earwax is produced in the deeper part of the ear canal, and gradually moves towards the entrance of the ear canal. Once the earwax is at the entrance of the ear canal, it is safe to wipe it with a washcloth.
Using cotton swabs might push the earwax back in towards the deeper part of the ear canal. But oops – that’s where new earwax is being made! Now the new earwax can’t get out, and it can become a big buildup of wax very deep in the ear canal. Earbuds cause a wax buildup in the same way that cotton swabs do – they push the earwax back into your ear canal, preventing it from making its way out of the canal naturally. A significant buildup can cause hearing loss, ringing in the ear, fullness in the ear, pain, or even an ear infection.
What should I do about it?
- Wear over-the-ear headphones whenever possible.
- Avoid using cotton swabs that might push the earwax deeper into your ears.
- Book a consult with us! We will check your ears for excessive wax buildup, remove it if necessary, and discuss ways to prevent future wax buildup.
Call us to arrange a consult for wax removal with one of our expert Audiologists!
About the Author
Salima Jiwani is the Founder/Director and Lead Audiologist at AudioSense Hearing, Balance & Concussion, an audiology clinic in Yorkville, Toronto. Salima has a keen clinical and research interest in disorders of the external, middle and inner ear, including hearing loss, auditory processing difficulties, tinnitus, sound sensitivities and post-concussion auditory deficits. Salima is passionate about understanding how the brain responds to sound after injury and in post-surgical management of cochlear implants. Salima works with children and adults of all ages at AudioSense, and provides her patients with industry-leading audiological care by leveraging her clinical, research and industry experience. She firmly believes in a holistic cross-collaborative team approach to audiological care and is always looking for outside-the-box evidence-based innovative ways to offer care to her patients. Outside of work, Salima continues to be engaged in advocacy initiatives to elevate the profession of audiology, give audiologists a voice and promote optimal audiological care for her patients.
