As the cold winter weather comes back around, many of us notice a change in our health. While you may think of chapped lips and a sore throat with cold weather, one thing that you may not is hearing loss. Did you know that cold weather has the ability to increase hearing problems in some patients?
What is Exostosis?
Exostosis, known as surfers ear, is a condition where the ear reacts to cold temperatures. While this is more common with cold water, it can also happen with cold air as well. The ear will create an abnormal bone growth to help close the ear canal to protect it against exposure. This condition can lead to a plethora of other health and hearing problems.
How Does Exostosis Affect Your Hearing Health?
When a person experiences exostosis, they will also experience difficulty hearing. This is due to the bone blockage in the ear, obstructing sound waves from reaching the inner ear. Apart from hearing loss, you can have excess ear wax due to ear wax not being able to make its way to the exterior of the ear.
In some cases where water is present, it can become trapped deep inside the inner ear. This can lead to a potential ear infection. It’s clear that exostosis can affect your hearing health in many different ways.
Cold Weather and Hearing Aids
Using hearing aids while the weather is cold outside can have some adverse effects. Having a constant foreign object in your ear can prevent ear wax from being able to exit the outside of the ear. Over time this can lead to impacted ear wax. If left untreated, excess ear wax can cause earaches, headaches, tinnitus, and infections.
It’s best to go to a hearing care professional to have your excess ear wax removed. You don’t want to use cotton swabs as that could lead to pushing ear wax further into your inner ear. Additionally, it’s a good idea to not go outside into the freezing temperatures with wet hair. The excess moisture can mess with the functioning of your hearing aids.
When it comes to your hearing aids, it isn’t so much the cold weather that will damage them. It’s the moisture and condensation that can build up inside the devices that damages them. When you walk inside from the cold outdoors, your glasses can fog up. The same thing can happen with your hearing aids. It’s best to ensure that you dry and clean them every day during the cold winter season.
Call Us Today
If you’re experiencing hearing loss in the cold weather, then it’s time to give us a call. Let our helpful hearing care professionals assess your issue. We can provide you with the best treatments for your health condition.
