Winter can pose a number of challenges for both our mental and physical health. One way the colder season can create issues is with our ears.
In this blog post, we’ll explain why winter can be a uniquely challenging time for our ear health while offering some tips to mitigate the risks it can bring.
Understanding Ear Wax
Cerumen, known colloquially as ear wax, is a naturally occurring substance produced in the ear canal.
You may or may not know this, but ear wax actually serves a number of important functions. It serves as a natural ear protector, moisturiser, and defender against infections, playing a crucial role in maintaining the health of our ears.
But although earwax can help our ears stay healthy, when it’s left to accumulate, it can start to become more of a hindrance than a help. In fact, in some cases, it can create serious issues.
Excessive ear wax production or hazardous cleaning practices can lead to blockages, resulting in reduced hearing, ear ringing (also known as tinnitus) and even dizziness. Likewise, blockages or impacted ear wax can result in significant pain and discomfort.
Once the temperatures have plummeted, ear wax can pose an even bigger threat to your ear health, which we’ll explain in more detail below.
Ear Wax In Winter
When it comes to maintaining your ear health, it’s even more important to ensure you keep wax levels low in winter. Here’s why:
In the warmer months, higher temperatures and increased humidity can moisturise the ear and ensure war wax stays soft.
However, during the winter, the air tends to be drier and this can lead to wax hardening, which can cause a range of issues.
Another contributor to the hardening of ear wax is indoor heating. In winter, we often crank up the thermostat to mitigate the colder temperatures, but this artificial heat creates extremely dry air. This is known to dry out the ear canal and create hard wax.
Hard Wax Risks
To help give you a full understanding of the problems that can arise due to hard wax in the ear canal, here are the three main risks:
Pain:
First and foremost, hardened ear wax can cause considerable pain and discomfort, which is something most of us would prefer to avoid!
When ear wax is stripped of its natural moisture, it solidifies into a hardened mass. This can then start to press against the delicate walls of the ear canal, causing at best some slight discomfort and at worst, excruciating pain.
Over time, this can lead to irritation, inflammation and potential injury to the ear canal, especially if you try to remove the wax with cotton buds or other objects that shouldn’t be entering the ear!
This is why those with hardened ear wax frequently experience earache, and if you’ve ever experienced this pain you’ll know just how debilitating it can be.
Infections:
Worryingly, hardened wax can create a breeding ground for infections as trapped moisture can help bacteria or fungi flourish.
If you’ve ever had an ear infection you’ll know the symptoms can be painful, uncomfortable and embarrassing. Physical symptoms range from redness, swelling and discharge, while you may also experience fever and a general feeling of unwellness.
If you have hardened ear wax are particularly susceptible to these infections, making it crucial to address the wax-related blockages promptly to prevent the onset of painful and potentially recurrent infections.
Lack of Hearing:
Hardened ear wax can impact your hearing, which is never ideal!
The ear canal’s main function is to conduct sound waves to the eardrum, which is how we hear sounds. However, when ear wax hardens, it can create a barricade, which impedes our hearing.
The severity of your hearing loss will depend on the amount of wax present. If it’s just a little hardened wax then this can partially block the canal, creating muffled sounds and slightly affecting your hearing ability. But if there’s a large mass of hard wax in our ear canal, this could completely block out sounds and make you temporarily deaf.
Ear syringing, or ear irrigation, is a safe and effective procedure that’s performed by healthcare professionals such as ourselves. For this process, we direct a gentle stream of warm water into the ear canal using a specialised syringe, which helps to soften and flush out built-up and potentially problematic ear wax.
Choosing to get ears syringed by a competent and qualified professional provides a timely and effective solution to hardened ear wax. By taking a proactive approach to the cold season, you can help restore clear hearing, relieve pain and discomfort and reduce the risk of complications like infections.
Here at Newdays Pharmacy, we’re a dedicated ear wax removal pharmacy, so we offer a range of private and NHS services. You can find out more about us online and book an appointment with one of our pharmacists in your local branch.
If you’d like to find out more about our ear wax syringing, get in touch with us today as we’d be more than happy to assist!
So those are the main risks with hardened wax during the winter. As you can see, failure to keep your earwax levels under control could present a raft of problems, from temporary hearing loss to infections to pain and discomfort.
But by regularly having your ears syringed by a professional, you can prevent wax from building up and going hard, maintaining your otological health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cold temperatures, wind and seasonal illnesses can all affect your ear health. Winter may increase the risk of ear infections, ear pain and discomfort, particularly if you have a cold, flu or sinus congestion.
Ear wax itself is not caused by winter, but blocked ears may become more noticeable when you have a cold or congestion. Avoid using cotton buds, as they can push wax deeper into the ear canal. If symptoms persist, seek professional ear wax removal.
Keep your ears warm when outdoors, manage colds promptly, avoid inserting objects into your ears and seek medical advice if you experience severe pain, hearing loss, discharge or symptoms that do not improve.