So you’re at an appointment with your primary care physician or a hearing healthcare professional and one of the first things they do is check in your ears with a special tool called an otoscope.

This is called an otoscopic exam and it is imperative to confirm normal ear health.

Both your primary care physician and your hearing healthcare professional (Audiologist) are checking to make sure that they can see your tympanic membrane (eardrum) and that it looks normal and healthy.

The tympanic membrane (TM) separates the outer ear from the middle ear and transmits the acoustic energy from the air-filled outer ear into mechanical energy in the middle ear as it vibrates.

When a physician looks in your ear they want to see a pearly white or pinkish tympanic membrane that is slightly see-through so that some of the middle ear bones are visible through it. Another important structure they should see is the cone of light near the bottom of the tympanic membrane. Because the tympanic membrane is slightly concave, when the light from the otoscope shines onto the eardrum there should be a small reflection visible. This reflection is important as it confirms that the eardrum is taught like it is supposed to be.

The most common issue that disrupts the tympanic membrane from being visible is wax.

Ear wax is very common in most people and although it usually does not pose any issues, sometimes it can become impacted against the eardrum which might cause a slight hearing loss. Other times it may not cause hearing loss but there can be so much that a good view of the eardrum is not possible. Healthy earwax will look yellow or light brown and should be slightly wet and gooey. Sometimes it can be drier, flakier, and appear to be more of an off-white color. Both are normal and should really only be removed if it is necessary to be able to see the eardrum, otherwise, the wax will work itself out on its own. If the wax is very dark and hardened this is a sign that it is impacted and may be causing some hearing loss or even pain to the patient. In this case, it should be removed with a water wash and might even need oil, so that the warm water can soften and loosen it up so that it can be removed by a professional or eventually fall out on its own.

If you are a parent a small, easy-to-use otoscope might be a great tool to have in your first-aid kit.

As many parents know, small things can end up in many unwanted places such as a shoe, a dog bowl, or even a child’s ear. Being able to look in the ear and make sure there’s nothing in there that shouldn’t be can save you a trip to the doctor or show you the need to get to an urgent care asap!

It is also typical of kids to complain of ear pain, they have shorter, more horizontal eustachian tubes than adults which can cause ear issues and infections to be more common. Otitis media, or a middle ear infection, are especially common in children. If this is an issue that your child often has, it might be helpful to have an otoscope so you can confirm whether or not it is an infection before spending time and money on going to the doctor.

Before you start sticking an otoscope into your child’s ear as the ear is a sensitive place, it is important to know how to look in gently and not hurt your child!

It is not a difficult thing to learn, it’s just important to know how to do it safely and effectively. Once you know how to use an otoscope you need to know what you are looking for when you use it. If you are trying to check whether or not your child is dealing with an ear infection you want to be on the lookout for a red, irritated, bulging eardrum. Sometimes you will also be able to see fluid behind the eardrum which would be causing the bulge. These are clear signs that there is an infection and it is time to go to the doctor to get some antibiotics prescribed!  And if there is fluid all time the, you can even talk to the Ear Nose, and Throat doctor about PE Tubes.

Many other outer and middle ear disorders can be identified through an otoscopic exam.

Besides ear infection, wax buildup, and foreign objects in the ear, an otoscopy can also show cholesteatoma, perforations (holes), tympanosclerosis, and myringosclerosis. If your physician or hearing healthcare professional sees something amiss during an otoscopic exam they will refer you to an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor or another specialist like an audiologist to further check out what might be going on and also get a diagnosis or a recommendation to see an ENT doctor. If you are a parent and see something unusual with your child’s ear you can always check in with us and see if we can help.  If we can’t we will recommend you see your primary care doctor or even an ENT doctor.

Cleaning your hearing aids.

I know what you are thinking.  “Is that really that important?”  “This is a high-tech, enclosed piece of equipment.  How much cleaning is really needed?”

I just had this conversation.  My husband has had his hearing aids for just less than a year.  The other day, I noticed the volume on the TV was higher than usual and I was having to speak more loudly.  I asked him if he had noticed a problem with his hearing aids.  He said yes; that they sounded flat. I asked when he had last cleaned them.  He got a faraway look on his face.  So I said, perhaps that is something you should do.  Lo and behold, he can now hear!

I cannot tell you how many telephone calls come into our Audiology Hears to U clinic and people tell me their hearing aid is not working.

They are often frustrated; understandably so.  I remember one person came in so angry that his newly-purchased aids were not working.  He was quite upset; said that if they were not going to work, what was the point of them and he was going to return them?   Kim came back and he put them in.  They were working perfectly.  He was stunned and asked what magic she had done.  “I changed the wax guards.”  I wish I had words to describe the look on his face; our friends across the pond would say “gobsmacked”.

These are expensive pieces of electronics that are small enough to fit in your ear; or just behind your ear.  However, a modicum of care is required to keep them working at their best.  How often they should be cleaned will depend on how often and for how long you wear them.  Some people naturally form more earwax, so will need to clean more often than others.  Really, hearing aids are pieces of durable medical equipment.  Like any other piece of equipment, regular maintenance is required.

First and foremost:  keep them dry.

Water and electronics do not mix well.  On the website and in the clinic are a number of dehumidifiers.  We can help you decide which is best for you.  The tips, and domes need to be cleaned and the wax guards replaced periodically.  Wax is another enemy of a properly working hearing aid.

There are a number of ways to keep your hearing aids clean so that they work well for you.

Keeping them clean and dry will also increase the life of the aid.  You can purchase audiology brand cleaning wipes and hearing aid brushes.  Hearing aid wax guards can be purchased through the website.  Some hearing aid dehumidifiers look a bit like a tube; put the hearing aids in, close the lid and the desiccant sleeve inside the tube will dry the hearing aids.  Others look more like a hearing aid charger.  Place the aids in, push the button and the machine does the work for you.  Some of the machines will clean, dry, and even sanitize with UV light the hearing aids, all in one cycle.

Why a dehumidifier to clean for your hearing aids?

The purpose of this cleaning de-humidifier is to clean any hearing aid to remove wax and any other impurities out of your hearing aid.  The de-humidifier for your hearing aid It will then dry them, and finally disinfect the aids by using UV-C light.  The cleaning features of the Perfect de-humidifier helps during these strange Covid-19 days when we need to keep everything clean.

What happens to the ear wax in your hearing aid?

Ear wax in your hearing aid or the tips of the receivers will prevent them from performing at their best.  We all know that moisture and electronics do not mix well at all.  So being able to clean and dry your aids will help them to help you hear at your best.  The ability to disinfect them, especially during these times of Covid-19, is an added benefit and comfort.

The PerfectClean dehumidifier uses an anti-bacterial solution inside the case.

Keep the dehumidifier for the hearing aids on a flat surface.  When you use the dehumidifier for your hearing aids for the first time, you will need to load the chamber with the solution from the cartridge.  Indicator lights on the outside of the dehumidifier will tell you when more solution is needed to help clean your hearing aids.  To use, open the dehumidifier unit’s compartment.  This can be used with any type of hearing aid.  Place the tips of the hearing aid in the holes of the dehumidifier.  If your hearing aids use batteries, open the battery doors so as to turn off the hearing aid and save the battery.  Close the compartment door of the dehumidifier and press the button to start the dehumidifier cycle.  The entire hearing aid cleaning cycle is about 90 minutes.  That is amazingly fast for a cleaning system for your personal hearing aids. You can do it while you sleep or while you meditate.

The dehumidifier is clean looking itself.

The Perfect dehumidifier is white and not too large.  It looks like a technology that is clean and easy.  You need to store it somewhere dry and not near the moisture itself.  You would never store it in the refrigerator or freezer.  Don’t store it in a moist bathroom or outdoors.  Store the dehumidifier in your room and enjoy a clean hearing aid in the morning when you wake up!

The unit comes with a USB cable, an adapter,  and a user manual.  Each cleaning solution cartridge lasts about 45 cleaning sycles.  There is also a filter that will need to be rinsed or cleaned periodically