Ouch… My Ear Are Painful!

We've all felt it: A plane descends, pressure inside the cabin changes, pressure builds inside our ears, and then - pop! Here is what to do when you experience the pain.

Why Do Your Ears Pop on Airplanes?

It all starts with your Eustachian tube, a pencil-sized funnel connecting the back of your nose with the middle ear. As your flight prepares for landing, it ensures air pressure on both sides of the eardrum stays roughly the same.  The air pressure around us changes with altitude. The outside air pressure changes rapidly during flight take-off or just before landing. So to keep up (with the pressure change), you need to open and close your Eustachian tube, or it will hurt your ears.

How To Pop Your Ears In Airplane, And Minimise Ear Discomfort?

1.      Swallow, chew gum, yawn, suck a candy or drink water.

These actions activate the muscles that open the Eustachian Tube, and allow air back into the middle ear, reducing the pain.

2.      Keep awake during takeoff and landing. If you sleep, the frequency of swallowing is reduced, so it is counter-productive.

3.      Use nasal spray one hour before landing. Nasal sprays are often prescribed by doctors to reduce any swelling in the nose, which can interfere with Eustachian Tube functions.

4.      Try the Valsalva Maneuver. This helps to unblock the ears when pressure starts to build up. Pinch your nostrils and blow your nose, while keeping the mouth closed. You can repeat this several times during ascent and descent, but be careful not to blow too hard, or you will risk rupturing your eardrum.

5.      Try the Toynbee Maneuver. Close your mouth and nose, and swallow several times until the pressure equalises.

For some travellers, applying the above are still not enough to clear their ears. Or it may be a hassle, especially to children. If you are a frequent air traveller, and you need something that can work fast, try the Otovent. 

Otovent is an auto inflation device that offers natural and non-surgical treatment for barotrauma. It consists of a medical- grade balloon connected to an applicator, which you use to blow up through your nose. You can use the Valsalva Maneuver with Otovent.  Do this a few times, during flight descent to pop your ears and reduce the pain. Otovent is easily used by young children, as it is similar with blowing up a party balloon.

Have a safe and happy travel!

InnoHear Hotline: +6017 638 7247.

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Hearing Loss Experience

It does not mean you need a hearing aid just because you’re reading this. But something has made you interested. Maybe you have noticed a loss of hearing over the years and you are considering a hearing aid. Or maybe you are just curious.

Take a few minutes to browse through this article. It could answer a lot of your questions.

Hearing loss happens when, for some reason, sound is not properly transmitted from outside the ear to the brain, where it is interpreted.

Hearing losses can be of different degrees, ranging from very mild to profound or total deafness. The categories are based on the result of a hearing test. Hearing loss can be grouped into conductive, sensorineural and mixed.

a)      Conductive Hearing Loss occurs when there is a blockage in the outer or middle ear, which prevents sound coming into the inner ear. One of the most common causes of conductive hearing loss is blockage in the externel  ear canal, typically caused by earwax buildup or infection. Most cases are temporary and can be corrected with proper medical treatment.

b)      Sensorineural Hearing Loss may result from damage to the sensory cells or nerve fibres of the cochlear in the inner ear. This damage can happen congenitally (from birth), or due to severe illness affecting the cochlear and hearing nerve, and noise exposure. This type of hearing loss, more often than not, can be managed by usage of hearing aids.

c)      Mixed Hearing Loss is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. Management of this type of hearing loss is a combination of medical treatment and hearing aids usage.

It Is A Noisy World Out There

It is a well known fact that the cochlea can be permanently damaged by exposure to loud noises. It is therefore important that you are aware of the dangers and how you can minimise the risk to your hearing.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss can happen when an individual is regularly exposed to noise over a long period of time. The hearing loss will start at the higher frequencies, which gradually extends to other frequencies, and worsens over time.

This type of hearing loss can also occur if an individual is exposed to a very high sound level for a short period of time.

This is called acoustic trauma. With very intense sounds, the trauma can cause a perforation of the eardrum.

What Are The Effects Of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?

Almost always, individuals with noise-induced hearing loss (or any hearing loss for that matter) are often unaware of any hearing loss until the mid-frequency sounds are affected.

However, they may be conscious of difficulties in following conversations when there is a lot of background noise. Hearing impaired individuals will complain that sounds are distored and that speech seems ‘muffled’. The lack of clarity is usually due to the detrimental affects of a high frequency hearing loss on certain speech sounds such /s/, /sh/, and /f/.

Another consequence of noise-induced hearing loss is tinnitus, or ringing in the ear. Although tinnitus often accompanies noise-induced hearing loss, it can also affect people with hearing loss not related to noise.

It can become very troublesome and persistent and is often people’s main complaint.

Management Of Hearing Loss

It is always worth trying a hearing aid if you have hearing loss. Whilst it will never be able to restore your hearing to normal, the technology in a digital hearing aid may improve your hearing in particular situations and reduce your awareness of any tinnitus.

For people who are potentially susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss, usage of noise protection earplugs can greatly reduce the possibility of the hearing loss. However, it is best to just stay away from the noise, that can possibly affect your hearing.

Your Hearing Care Professionals

InnoHear Centres offer comprehensive screening services and diagnostic testings for both adults and children. InnoHear Centres prescribe and provide digital hearing aids and tinnitus therapy to individuals with hearing loss and tinnitus. Talk to our audiologists and hearing care professionals for different options of digital hearing aids, tinnitus management and custom-made earplugs.

           

InnoHear Hotline: +6017 638 7247

#innohear #sedardengar #premiumhearingaidsmadeaffordable

InnoHear, Your Friendly Hearing Healthcare Professionals

Understanding Hearing Loss

Hearing is one of the most important human senses. Do not let hearing loss make you miss out the many good and vital messages of life, and risk lowering the quality of your life and well-being.

We at InnoHear are committed in providing comprehensive diagnostic testing for both adults and children to determine the degree and nature of hearing difficulties. We will guide you in selecting the most suitable hearing solution, tailor-made for your hearing needs.

InnoHear’s Hearing Services:

1.       Hearing assessments for adults.

2.       Hearing assessments for children.

3.       Digital hearing aids fitting and rehabilitation.

4.       InnoHear Lab: Custom hearing aids, service and repair of hearing aids, production of earmoulds, water-protection and noise-protection earplugs.

5.       Tinnitus counselling and therapy.

Email us at info@innohear.com for more information.

Or call and text us at InnoHear Hotline: +6017 638 7247.

#innohear #innohearlab #sedardengar #premiumhearingaidsmadeaffordable

InnoHear, Pakar Penjagaan Pendengaran Anda

Pendengaran merupakan salah satu deria manusia yang paling penting, Jangan benarkan masalah pendengaran menghalang anda daripada berkomunikasi dengan orang tersayang. Dan jangan biarkan masalah pendengaran menjejaskan kualiti kehidupan dan kesihatan anda.

Kami di InnoHear sangat komited untuk memberikan khidmat ujian dan pengurusan masalah pendengaran yang komprehensif, kepada orang dewasa mahu pun kanak-kanak. Kami akan membantu anda membuat pemilihan alat bantu pendengaran yang sesuai dengan masalah yang dihadapi.

Antara khidmat pendengaran di InnoHear:

1.       Penilaian dan ujian pendengaran untuk dewasa.

2.       Penilaian dan ujian pendengaran untuk kanak-kanak.

3.       Pengurusan masalah pendengaran: Alat bantu pendengaran digital dan aksesori.

4.       Terapi tinnitus.

5.       Makmal pendengaran: pembuatan acuan telinga, acuan untuk penahan kebisingan dan penjagaan daripada air.

      Email kami di info@innohear.com untuk pertanyaan dan maklumat lanjut. Atau hubungi Hotline InnoHear di +6017 638 7247.

#innohear #sedardengar #premiumhearingaidsmadeaffordable