Mrs Caroline Adwoa Aidoo, the Public Relations Officer for the Group, said the ear wax, also referred to as cerumen, played an important role in the ear by helping to lubricate, prevent infections, and trap dirt and insects from entering the ear, hence it must not be removed.

“The bad thing about using ear buds is that, instead of bringing out the wax it pushes it further back into the ear and blocks the ear drum, which may cause hearing difficulty,” she said.

She urged the public to visit any ENT facility to have their ears washed if they felt the wax was in excess instead of using ear buds.

Mrs Aidoo said this at a health screening exercise held at the GH Media School to mark the World Hearing Day, which is observed on March 3, every year.

This year’s theme is: “To Hear for Life, Listen with Care”, which focuses on the importance of safe listening as a means of maintaining good hearing throughout one’s life.

Lieutenant Commander Michael Donkor, the Chairman for the Greater Accra ENT Nurses Group, and a Clinical Audiologist, 37 Military Hospital, said the louder the music listened to the higher the possibility of losing hearing capabilities later in life.

He cautioned participants and the public, especially on-air media personalities, to desist from listening to sound above 80 decibels for more than 40 hours a week.

Lt. Donkor advised smart phone users to get a Sound Level Meter app on their phones to help track the level of sound or noise around them.

“If you are in an environment where the noise levels are 80 decibels and above, you have two options; either you leave or use ear plugs” he said.

Lt. Donkor admonished on-air media personnel to use ear plugs to reduce the amount of sound that went into the ear.

“There are simple ear plugs that can be used while using headsets in the studio that reduces the amount of sound going directly into the ear…once sound is attenuated the impact is less” he stated.

The team advised the public to have their ears examined at least once a year, as part of their routine health checks.

The World Hearing Day is to raise awareness on how to prevent hearing loss and promote hearing care across the world.

Each year, the World Health Organisation decides the theme and develops evidence-based advocacy materials such as brochures, flyers, posters, banners, infographics, and presentations for the campaign on maintain good hearing.