Hearing Health TIPS
The Q-tip Quandary
Should I Be Using Q-tips to Clean My Ears?
You don’t need to do anything special to clean your ears — they’re self-cleaning! You ear canals move as you talk and chew, creating a “conveyer belt” motion that moves wax out of your ears on its own. You may have heard the saying “don’t put anything sharper than your elbow in your ear,” and it holds true — unless it’s through professional treatment. It’s important to leave the ear cleaning to your audiologist, primary care doctor, or nurse, and leave the delicate structure of your ear alone.
Almost everybody knows the pleasant feeling of cleaning out your ears with a Q-tip. Many people swear by the little white implements, cleaning their ears as often as every day. However, Q-tips are really not your best option when it comes to cleaning out your ears if they’re extra clogged for some reason — and it’s likely that your habitual usage of Q-tips is actually causing more harm than good. If you look closely at the packing of Q-tips, you’ll probably see a warning that says “not meant to clean ear canals.” It’s true that when you stick a Q-tip in your ear and pull it out, there will be some waxy residue. What’s really happening, though, is that you’re pushing the wax further into your ear. During otoscopy, an audiologist can immediately tell whether a patient has been using Q-tips, as the wax is shoved to the back, packed in tightly. This clumped-up wax can negatively affect your hearing, and if you use a hearing aid, can interfere with the device, causing it to whistle.
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Easiest Chickpea Curry
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons ketchup • Salt and pepper, to taste • Chopped cilantro (optional) • Lemon wedges (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 large yellow onion, diced • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick • Pinch of ground cloves • 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt- added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Directions:
1. In a large straight-sided skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. 2. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown around edges, for about 6 minutes. 3. Add garlic, curry, cinnamon, and cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 30 seconds. 4. Add chickpeas, ketchup, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. 5. Uncover and increase heat to medium-high; cook until sauce is slightly reduced, for 5 minutes. 6. Serve with chopped cilantro and lemon wedges, if desired.
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