There are a number of ways to remove ear wax safely if you or a child are troubled by too much of it. However, it is important to note that ear wax can provide valuable protection for your ear canal, to prevent things from entering it and causing infection and/or hearing loss.
Where Does Earwax Come From?
The wax in your ears is secreted by the glands in the skin that lines the outer half of your ear canals. The wax and tiny hairs in these passages (known as cilia) trap dust and other foreign particles that could damage the sensitive structures deeper in the ear, such as your eardrum.
Earwax is more valuable than most people think because the human ear canal is also rather short and has a slightly sloping configuration, leaving the eardrum quite vulnerable. Compare this with a cat ear canal, deep and shaped like a J, or a dog ear canal, even deeper and shaped like an L.
Earwax also helps waterproof the ear to a certain extent so that when you shower, bathe or swim, you don’t get a lot of water in your ear (which can lead to swimmer’s ear).
Earwax Blockage
One of the main reasons people want to remove earwax safely is because they have a blockage. They either produce a lot, and/or it gets hardened to the point where it can’t be washed away naturally or removed with the light application of a cotton bud. Ironically, people often plug their own ears while trying to clean the earwax, pushing it further in rather than getting it out.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of earwax blockage can include:
* Decreased hearing in the affected ear
* Earache
* The ear feeling full
* Ringing, or noises in the ear (tinnitus)
* Dizziness
* Cough from post-nasal drip
Seeing a Doctor
If you’re experiencing the signs and symptoms of earwax blockage, it is best to talk to your doctor, because you can’t examine your own ears safely, and there may be a range of causes of the above symptoms besides earwax blockage. For example, an earache may be a sign of infection.
If your ears are excessively waxy, wax removal is safest done by a doctor too. This is because your eardrum can be perforated if you poke around too much. Don’t try to remove earwax yourself by putting anything inside your ear canal. Earwax cleaning with a cotton bud should only be done in the concha or bowl-shaped part of the ear surrounding the ear canal opening.
Children will usually have their ears checked as part of any regular check-up, so the doctor can remove excess earwax as needed.
Ways to Remove Earwax
1. Curet
The doctor will use a small, curved instrument called a curet.
2. Suction
This will “vacuum” out the earwax.
3. Flushing
The doctor might use a rubber-bulb syringe filled with warm water, or a waterpik, normally used for cleaning teeth.
4. Earwax removal kits
If the problem is persistent, you can use a kit at home, such as the Debrox Earwax Removal Kit or the Murine Ear Wax Removal System. However, these drops can irritate the delicate skin of the eardrum and ear canal so should only be used as directed.
5. Candling
Candling is an alternative medical treatment used in India as part of Ayurvedic medicine. They place a lighted, hollow, cone-shaped candle into the ear to try to melt the wax and make it stick to the candle. However, there is no research to support it actually working, and a live flame can result in burns, ear canal obstructions and even eardrum perforations.
6. Softening
Use an eyedropper to apply a few drops of baby oil, mineral oil, glycerin or hydrogen peroxide to soften the wax and make it easier to remove with a cotton bud.
Water will usually help as well. After a shower, gently clean your ear, without poking into the canal.
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