5 ways to take care of our ears in full pandemic

With the wearing of the mask and the consequences of the COVID-19, some of our senses such as smell and taste are affected.Hearing is therefore found propelled on the front line to communicate and understand its interlocutor, which does not prevent the ears from being victims of collateral damage.Explanation.

Depuis le début de la crise sanitaire, il n'y a que pour se maquiller que le port du masque complique les choses. Télétravail oblige, le temps quotidien passé avec un casque ou des écouteurs sur les oreilles a augmenté de plus de 2 heures par jour, engendrant pour certains une gêne auditive, de surcroît accentuée par le port du masque. Objet devenu indispensable avec la situation sanitaire actuelle, le masque complique la communication. Depuis mars 2020 et le premier confinement, on ne peut plus toucher, câliner, embrasser… Mais le toucher n’est pas le seul sens à être touché ! Quand on parle à quelqu'un, que ce soit en face-à-face ou au téléphone, on a la désagréable sensation de ne rien entendre et faire répéter est devenu plus que courant.

By hiding the mouth, the mask indeed prevents reading on the lips, while everyone uses this practice, often unconsciously, especially in the event of understanding difficulties (for example in noisy environment).Wearing the mask therefore induces hearing loss doubled with a loss of understanding is undeniable.Physical distancing obviously amplifying this phenomenon.On the aesthetic side, with the wearing of the mask, the earrings type large Creoles or decorated with charms are now strongly discouraged, under the risk of losing them.And if you want to stand out, why not learn to make up your ears, as on the SchiaParelli Fall 2021 parade, just to upgrade them to the rank of fashion accessories!

1.Relearn to listen

Rest assured, you are not deaf!There is an explanation for this phenomenon.The mask fabric barrier stifles the voices, attenuates acute - considered to be the most important for the understanding of speech.Finally, the mask also hides the expressions and expressions which allow to complete the understanding.Wearing the mask can thus accentuate a drop in hearing, even slight.According to a study, surgical polypropylene models as well as those in 100 % cotton lower the sound level on average of 3 to 4 decibels.While the average volume of the voice is around 65 dB, the surgical mask would bring it back to 60 dB and up to 53 dB with an FFP2 mask.this explains that.

2.Preserve his hearing health

To partially compensate for these difficulties, some simple rules are essential: to face your interlocutor, speak slowly and articulate correctly, minimize ambient noises, ask the person if he has of course, repeat if necessary, reformulating differently.In short, adapt to the situation.Recently, the National Hearing Day Association has even published a plea for companies and a series of advice to be implemented to preserve the hearing health of employees in telework.Three golden rules: first advice, "distinguish pleasure from sound and hearing health".The more the ears are requested and the more the risk of hearing fatigue and discomfort in understanding increases.It is not because a sound is pleasant that it is not deleterious.Hence the second rule: spare recovery times and, whether for listening to music or for telephone communications or during videoconferences, this third tip: use a good quality helmet with a noise of noise.

3.Take inspiration from Chinese medicine

If in our Western countries the ears allow us to hear, it is said in an old Chinese medicine treaty - the Ling Shu - that "the ears are the places where the vessels are gathering".We "mean" there that the ears communicate with all the parts of the body, the vessels convey the blood just like the energy.These energy routes, the "meridians", represent all the neurological, vascular and humoral bonds between the different parts of the.This means that pathological changes, organ and systems dysfunctions can affect the ear.

The primary organ linked to the ear is the kidney.The shape of the ear evokes the shape of a kidney, we know how much the Chinese love these similarities.We are not talking about kidneys here, but the kidney, a name that covers a set of physiological functions since this organ is mainly responsible for the body and humoral system of the body.In Chinese medicine, there is no difference between organic, energy and psychic and we know the effects of emotions and mood on organs well.So, if the energy of the kidney "goes up" well in the ears, they hear perfectly.But when it decreases, when you get older, when you are afraid, when you are anxious (as right now with the world epidemic), hearing is decreasing.

4.Test acupuncture

Do not panic !The other organs also have their role to play.For example, the heart is the one that ensures the clarity of hearing.When he weaken, it becomes "troubled".The liver, by its control over the blood circulation, plays an important role in terms of the functions of the ears: if the energy of the liver rises too strong, it can cause tinnitus and dizziness.The gallbladder also has a role to play because its energy path enters the internal ear.You will understand, good ears health is therefore directly or indirectly linked to all the energy paths of the human body.In the event of imbalance, acupuncture is a solution to favor because it can, on each ear, stimulate more than 120 points associated with different parts of the.Basically, start the machine again!

5.Dare

For us, simple mortals, who do not remember the mapping of our ears, nothing easier than pampering them by massaging them between the index and the thumb, as soon as the desire takes us.On the make-up side, the port of the mask also forced to review its habits.If ear makeup is nothing new, it had so far (almost) never exceeded the boundaries of social networks.But that was before the world pandemic.Just type the hashtag #earmakeup in the Instagram and Tiktok search bars to discover a anthology, from the most sober to the most experimental by going through the most artistic.

Failing to be able to wear lipstick, why not sublimate his ears of patterns, rhinestones, pearls and other accessories? The British Martha Butterworth is among the first makeup artists to have surfed on the trend offering "beauty looks of ear"For several months already.Using makeup, but also jewelry or ephemeral tattoos, it offers many beauty more creative ones than the others (@Marthamakepartist).A way to enhance our looks with this fun touch that has been missing so much for almost a year.

Thanks to Catherine Marin, consultant in traditional Chinese medicine, at the foot raised, 9, rue de Mulhouse, Paris 2nd.

Photo credits: Arno Bani