RNID: For deaf and hard of hearing people.

Take care of your ears now, protect them from loud sounds and check your hearing regularly. That way, you will help keep your hearing in peak condition or at least have a chance to do something to protect your hearing from further damage.

Ear care

You may think you're taking care of your ears by cleaning them or using over-the-counter (OTC) ear drops. In fact, poking things into your ears like ear buds, towels and fingers can damage the ear canal and carry infection. Some OTC drops and ear wax softeners may inflame the ear cells. Only use ear drops that are prescribed by a specialist or your GP. To clean your ears, gently wipe the surface of your pinna (the outside of the ear) with a clean flannel.

Protection

It's easy to take your hearing for granted but if you look after your ears now, you can prevent hearing loss when you get older. One of the most important things you can do is to protect your ears from excessive noise levels, particularly over long periods of time. The louder the noise is and the longer you are exposed to it, the greater the risk of damage to your hearing.
 
Remember, if loud music or noise ever causes discomfort or pain in your ears, you should use ear plugs, take regular breaks from it, turn down the sound or leave immediately. A handy rule of thumb is that if you can't talk to someone 2 metres away without shouting, the noise level could be damaging.

If you work in a noisy environment, you are protected by the law. Speak to your manager or employer about ways to protect your hearing. If your employer gives you ear protection, make sure you use it!

At home, always wear ear protectors if you are using noisy equipment such as: floor sanders, lawn mowers, drills and saws; and don't listen to your personal music player too loudly. Or, if you regularly take part in sports or activities that are noisy such as shooting or motor sports remember to wear ear protection.

Check your hearing

RNID's hearing check can be taken over the telephone on 0844 800 3838 (calls from a BT landline cost up to 5p per minute. Other providers' charges may vary. Call set up charge may apply). Or you can take our online hearing check now. It's quick, confidential and free.

Hearing loss occurs over time, so take RNID's hearing check once a year to monitor any change. If you do notice any difference during the year, you can call or log on to take the check again. If you are taking the check over the phone, remember to check the hearing in both ears by calling twice, once with the handset on your left side and once on your right side.

 

Top five tips

  1. Leave ear wax alone, it helps to keep your ears healthy. Cleaning your ears with cotton buds or using over-the-counter ear drops can damage your ears.
  2. Excessive noise can permanently damage your hearing. Always protect your ears with earplugs or earmuffs in noisy situations.
  3. If you are in a place where the background noise is so loud you have to shout to be heard, or a film soundtrack at the cinema is uncomfortably loud, complain to the manager.
  4. Don't listen to your personal music player at very high volumes - if the music is uncomfortable for you to listen to then it's too loud, or if you can't hear external sounds when you've got your headphones on, again, it's probably too loud.
  5. Take RNID's telephone or online hearing check.