As more and more people get piercings in different places on the ear, perhaps it’s time to explore whether or not piercings can damage your hearing.
Ear piercings have been around for a long time–thousands of years, actually! They’re a form of self expression and can give someone the ability to accessorize in an original way. Not to mention, the market is huge; earrings are a common gift, and a way to treat yourself. And while it’s not a common question, anything involving your ears should take hearing into consideration. As more and more people get piercings in different places on the ear, perhaps it’s time to explore whether or not piercings can damage your hearing.
Location is Everything
Earrings and piercings placed on the earlobe are perhaps the safest and most common piercing available. They have the lowest rate of infection and are far enough away from the inner ear that they shouldn’t interfere with your hearing at all. The only thing that could possibly affect your hearing would be the piercing process, which commonly uses a piercing gun–but the decibel level is so low that there’s no reason to be alarmed. So, what about the piercings that are in stranger places? The tragus, which is the cartilage that covers the ear passage entrance, is perhaps the most dangerous. Pus can drip into the inner ear and cause damage, or the piercing could infect and swell, blocking the ear canal.
Does it Damage or Not?
Overall, earrings should not have any effect on your hearing ability if you take good care of them. Ensure that you take the best care possible when you get them pierced, though, because infection can cause very serious complications if left unchecked. It’s also a great idea to visit an audiologist afterwards. Even if your piercing hasn’t caused damage or infection, you should be having regular visits anyway to make sure your hearing is not damaged in any way.
Bay Area Audiology can conduct a hearing evaluation for you today!
Ready to change the way you look at hearing loss? Our Doctor of Audiology, Dr. Trisha A. Bents Muth, is exceptionally experienced in the art of audiology, and is dedicated to providing the absolute best solutions. Bay Area Audiology has been working to give patients a comfortable environment, with thorough evaluations. We are independently owned, and unbiased when it comes to finding you the care you need.
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Don’t hesitate–we can help.