The ear is a delicate sensory mechanism that supplies important information about the external environment to our brain. Ears make us appreciate music. They make us sing along and hear the beauty of the chirping birds. Ears need to be cared for and protected from harm. Listed below are the leading causes of hearing loss you should avoid.

Avoid too much cleaning.
Hearing loss may occur as earwax pile, completely blocking the ear canal. This prevents sound waves from easily reaching the ear drum, in exactly the same way that ear plugs (or a strategically-positioned finger) block sound. Hence, improper and too much cleaning may cause danger. Your ear produces wax to protect itself. Earwax is important as it protects your ear canal and ear drum from small insects and anything foreign that flies, crawls, or is blown into the ear.

Avoid too much noise.
Excessive exposure to loud noise can damage the delicate mechanism of the ear. Noise-induced hearing loss is on the rise among the young. Audiologists believe that part of the problem is the number of gadgets that send amplified sound directly into the ear canal. Cell phones and MP3 players are noted to be one of its contributors.

Avoid swimming in unclean bodies of water.
Ear infection is very common in children. The outer part of the ear can easily pick up infection while swimming, particularly in unclean water. One common ear nuisance is swimmer’s ear. This is a condition that can result when bacteria grow inside the ear canal, and it can be quite painful.

Avoid getting sick.
Upper respiratory tract infections, colds, and flu causes middle ear infection which often result to temporary hearing loss. Measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), and meningitis result to hearing loss. Physical traumas such as a blow to the head while playing football, damage to the neck in a car accident, or damage to the eardrum while scuba diving poses danger to your hearing sense.

Avoid strong over the counter drugs.
Taking strong medicines also pose potential harm to hearing if used over an extended period or in high doses. These medications are called ototoxic drugs. Tell your doctor immediately if, on taking over the counter drugs, your ears start to ring (medically called tinnitus).

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