Added advice

• Advise customers who are worried about their hearing to go for a hearing test, offering signposting where necessary
• Suggest ear protectors are used in noisy environments.

When flying, to prevent the adverse effects of air pressure changes on the ears, customers can:

• Yawn
• Swallow frequently – chewing gum or sucking on sweets can help with this
• Equalise the pressure by pinching the nose, closing the mouth and gently breathing out through the nose until a ‘pop’ is felt in the ears
• Bottle feed babies or give them a dummy during take-off and landing.

Parents/carers of young children with an ear infection can be advised to: 

• Give a painkiller such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
• Hold a warm or cold flannel to the ear, depending on the child’s preference, to help soothe the pain
• Gently wipe the ear with cotton wool to remove any discharge
• Protect the ear from water and shampoo.

To help prevent inner ear infections, parents/carers can:

• Make sure the child is up to date with all their vaccinations
• Avoid smoky environments
• Use ear plugs, swimming hats and/or protective drops to protect the ears when swimming
• Avoid using a dummy after the baby reaches six months.