Ears are important things. Indeed a war was once fought over one 'the war of Jenkins ear'.!

I've titled this article ears ears ears because there are essentially three parts to the human ear. The outer ear consists of the large fleshy bit and the ear canal. The middle ear consists of three tiny bones(ossicles) in a cave which conduct sound to the inner ear. The middle ear has a narrow tube which leads down and into the mouth. This Eustachian tube allows the pressure in the middle ear to equalise with the outside world. If this did not happen changes in barometric pressure outside the ear would cause the eardrum to be sucked in and blown out as happens with a simple barometer. The middle ear is separated from the outer by a delicate pain sensitive tympanic membrane The inner ear is responsible for converting the vibrations of the ear ossicles into nerve messages which our brains can interpret as sound. The inner ear also contains the semicircular canals which are responsible for keeping us balanced.

The outer ear produces wax. If you get excessive wax build up try using olive oil drops. Take the chill off the drops on a spoon and then drip a couple of drops into the ear in the morning aand an hour before bed. Don't heat the oil up (warm solution poured in the ear can make people giddy.)If you are prone to wax building up regular use of olive oil can reduce the frequency with which your ears need syringing.

Middle ear catarrh occurs because the Eustachian tube becomes swollen or blocked. This commonly happens in association with viral infection. The middle ear ceases to drain or ventilate properly and deafness occurs. I do not usually recommend preparations like sudafed for long term use in this condition. Decongestants may be useful for short term relief for example if you are travelling on an aeroplane. If the pressure in the eardrum cannot balance pain occurs and a decongestant helps to reduce the severity of this. Start using the decongestant a few days before you travel and stop when you get off the plane. Used long term they make the slime thick and sticky and more difficult for the body to get rid of.

The middle ear has a negative pressure with respect to the outside world. If you are prone to ear catarrh try salt water nose drops(1 teaspoon of salt to a glass of boiling water. Let it cool and drip down the nose using a spoon.Yuk!!) If you're lucky the eustachian tube will suck up the saline and physically irrigate the canal and middle ear. Try not to swallow when doing this or the drops will go straight down the throat.

Most ear infections I believe come not from the outside world but from our own throats. If you're prone to ear infections aim to keep your throat and mouth as healthy as you can. This includes flossing teeth as these provide a home for the streptococcus germ which can cause tonsillitis and bacterial ear infection. If you get a sore throat gargle frequently with salt water or with an antiseptic such as betadine (this contains iodine which some people are allergic to).Drink plenty as this physically washes the bugs away and makes the slime produced by the ears thinner and runnier. If you do get an ear infection in addition to painkillers and perhaps antibiotics it sometimes helps to put a large plug of cotton wool with some vaseline on it in the ear. This helps reduce pain by minimising the effects of temperature and pressure on the sensitive ear drum

Finally a word on deafness. As people age they become increasingly unable to hear high frequencies (for example a womans voice).Increasing the volume you direct at a deaf person does not help as this tends to raise the frequency of the sound. Deaf people who say 'don't shout I'm not deaf' are actually half right. You need to drop your voice to a deep baritone to make it easier for the deaf person to hear. I have often been to visit elderly people whose relatives say they cannot hear and had a perfectly reasonable conversation simply through dropping my voice to a deep base. Try it sometime! If nothing else you'll sound sexier.