What does A mean in BRITISH MEDICINE

The most common symptom of an ear infection is pain in the affected ear, as well as temporary hearing loss. Other symptoms can include fever, drainage from the ear, dizziness, and feeling off-balance.

Your ears may be ringing due to a variety of causes such as wax buildup, allergies, stress or anxiety, infection, or a side effect of medication. To determine the underlying cause it is best to visit your doctor for a thorough evaluation.

Noise-induced hearing loss can occur when our ears are exposed to loud sounds over a long period of time or at high volumes for short periods. Long-term exposure can lead to permanent damage to our hearing and should be avoided.

Whether you choose earbuds or over-ear headphones depends on your own personal preferences and what works best for your particular listening habits. Earbuds tend to provide better sound isolation but can be uncomfortable; on the other hand, over-ear headphones are comfortable but may not block out all environmental noise. Ultimately it comes down to your own preference and how much sound isolation you need.

Various medical conditions can cause temporary or even permanent hearing loss. These include genetic syndromes such as Waardenburg syndrome; infections such as mumps or meningitis; metabolic disorders like diabetes; tumors and head injuries; multiple sclerosis; ototoxic medications; acoustic neuroma; and aging-related problems such as presbycusis.

Regular checkups with an audiologist are always recommended to ensure that your ears remain healthy and free from any potential problems. These checkups should happen annually or every two years if you’re over 40 - depending on factors such as existing health conditions that may impact your hearing health.

Good hygiene practices like washing hands regularly, avoiding touching/rubbing infected areas with dirty hands, using clean towels after swimming/showering and avoiding swimming in contaminated water can help reduce the chances of developing an ear infection. It is also important to avoid smoking around children as this increases their risk for developing infections in their middle ear space.

Yes! Swimming with plugs in your ears will help protect against water entering the middle/inner ear canal which could lead to painful swimmer's ear infections down the line if not treated quickly enough. Make sure you use custom fit silicone plugs specifically designed for swimming - they'll create a tight seal making them perfect for aquatic activities!

You should steer clear of trying to clean your own ears - attempting do-it-yourself cleaning could push wax deeper into the canal causing blockages and significantly increase the risk of damaging eardrums if done too aggressively with sharp tools/objects (including cotton swabs). If there is any suspicion that wax has built up it’s best to consult with an audiologist who can safely assess & remove impacted cerumen (wax).

If you’ve been experiencing vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus (ringing) and/or muffled speech then these signs usually indicate possible inner ear dysfunction - especially if one sided ("unilateral"). A comprehensive audiologic exam by qualified professionals should be able diagnose any issues adequately so please seek medical attention if needed!