Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Ear Care in Saudi Community

Abstract

Ear cleaning and removing the available wax out of them is one of the most widely spread habits among the different populations despite the harmful effect and consequences that could result. Ear wax is useful and protective for the human ears, and in normal cases it exists in healthy amounts inside the ear canal. Current study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of ear care among Saudi community members through studying a sample composed of 200 participants from both rural and urban populations. A self-administered questionnaire consisted of 15 items have been administered to the study groups. Findings of the study showed that there is a lack of knowledge and a high practice of incorrect habits, besides to the low awareness level among the rural population regarding ear care compared to the urban population. Study recommends that there is a need to perform more studies and increase the awareness of the community members towards the correct and healthy way of ear care.

Ear care: Knowledge, behavior, and attitudes among healthcare practitioners in Najran City, Saudi Arabia

“…Cerumen blockage, also known as cerumen impaction, blocks the ear canal and results in ear pain, itching, and hearing loss [ 5 ]. Cerumen makes it difficult for the doctor to properly assess the inner ear and audiovestibular system, thus the doctor may need to clear out the earwax [ 6 , 7 ]. Self-ear cleaning is the practice of many people who put various things into their ears to eliminate earwax.…”

“…Although medical students are generally thought to have a higher level of knowledge than the general public, a small percentage of preclinical students showed inadequate knowledge, attitude, and practice when it came to ear care [ 15 ]. In 2015, researchers in Nigeria conducted another survey and found that 92.8% of the participants used cotton swabs to clean their ears.…”