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Summertime is the favorite season for millions of people, and for a good reason! You get to spend more time outdoors and adventuring with friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, it is easy to forget to take care of your ears with all the fun and activities. And suffering from an earache or allergy can be a real headache.
Ear pain is a common problem for many people, especially during the summer months. It comes with sun exposure, swimming, or even playing sports.
One reason for this is the increased dust, pollen, and mold in the air during the summer. These factors can cause a variety of different issues, including:
Allergens in the air aren't the only culprit of ear pain. Summertime not only means more time outside, but it also means more time splashing around in the water! Unfortunately, this also increases the number of swimmer's ear infections.
Combining water and increased pollen and mold can be a real obstacle for anyone prone to ear pain or allergies. By taking the appropriate precautions and following a few tips, you can be sure to avoid these.
Below are some common summertime causes and some of the best solutions for treating them.
Seasonal allergies affect approximately 30% of the world's population. Most people have allergies to the widespread pollen produced by trees, grasses, and other plants as they begin to bloom. In many areas, mold also becomes a common problem as spring showers create an optimal environment for the fungus to grow.
While most people will suffer from symptoms such as watery eyes and stuffy/running noses, ear pain happens more often than you may think. Once airborne, these allergens can wind up stuck in the eustachian tube, causing inflammation, which in turn makes your ears itchy and feel full of fluid. If this fluid becomes infected, these symptoms will worsen and possibly infect the eardrum, which can result in permanent hearing loss.
Earwax is supposed to help stop this from happening. It moves through your ears, collecting microorganisms and dirt that do harm. This wax eventually moves to your outer ear, where it is washed away.
However, many issues can prevent this from happening smoothly. Your earwax can become infected, which will cause pain, itchiness and, if your body creates too much earwax, your ear may feel full of liquid.
Additionally, if you try to clean your ear with a swab, you may push that wax further in, blocking the eardrum, creating hearing loss, and putting your eardrum at risk of infection.
One of the best solutions for treating allergy symptoms and earwax removal in the ear is through a fine ear mist or ear drops that can help gently clean out the ear without worrying about causing damage to the canal or eardrum.
Swimmer's ear is one of the most common ear pain issues during the summertime. Unfortunately, it often goes unnoticed until it has progressed to a point where it is painful and uncomfortable.
When water and salt begin to mix, the environment is perfect for bacteria to grow and multiply. If your ears are exposed to water, bacteria can enter the ear canal and multiply. If the ear canal is blocked by excess earwax, this can also contribute to swimmer's ears.
While regular cleaning is important, it is essential to clean your ears with an appropriate ear cleaning solution if you are swimming frequently or exposed to water and salt. Make sure it is designed to rinse out the ears and help them dry without having to stick a swab into the canal and potentially harm the delicate area.
Stress and anxiety are also common causes of ear pain. Whether it's additional stress from having the kids home for the summer or stress from constant traveling, your ears can be affected in several ways.
For example, if your summer is full of plane travel, you may experience pain as the air pressure changes during your flight affect the Eustachian tubes found in your middle ears. Eustachian tubes are responsible for equalizing air pressure between the middle and outer ear.
When people are under stress, the ear tubes can get blocked and make it more difficult to equalize the pressure, leading to ear pain.
These tubes can also be affected by summertime colds and allergies. The tubes become inflamed, causing a buildup of fluid that leads to pain. In these cases, take an antihistamine to try and relieve some pressure caused by the inflammation of your sinuses.
Finally, if you're experiencing increased stress during these months and you find that you're clenching your jaw more often or grinding your teeth while you sleep, then you may notice the pain from your jaw radiates to your ears.
Should that be the case, you may need to visit your primary care provider or dental professional to inquire about a mouthguard to help prevent excessive clenching of your jaw or grinding of your teeth while you sleep. Additionally, you may be able to relieve some of the ear pain by taking over-the-counter pain medications.
While common during the summer months, ear pain is still something you need to pay careful attention to the rest of the year. While it could be caused by something as minor as seasonal allergies, you never want to write it off as no big deal.
Proper ear health should be a staple in your routine. If you're looking for a safe, natural way to care for your ears, then ENT Naturals has your back. Our SENSES™ Natural Ear Mist is a gentle ear cleanser that helps with itchy, dry ears, ear wax, and allergies.
With the unique combination of coconut, jojoba, and mineral oil, as well as vitamin E, you can gently clean your ears and keep them moisturized all summer long!
Contact us today for more information regarding our all-natural ear sprays.
