Earwax is a physiological phenomenon. However, its excess can lead to otitis or dizziness. See what symptoms indicate too much earwax and learn how to safely remove it.

WaxThis is a natural secretion produced by the earwax glands in the outer ear in the ear canal. It is produced to protect against contamination. Thanks to its stickiness, it retains dirt and pathogens that, under favorable conditions, e.g. excessive moisture, could lead to the development of ear inflammation. In addition, it moisturizes the skin and makes it more resistant to mechanical injuries.

Why is there earwax in my ear?

Accumulation of excess earwax in the ear is not normal as the ear generally cleans itself. The earwax usually clumps into a ball and slides on its own in the ear canal towards the exit. That's why you shouldn't help her and clean her ears with a stick.

Cleaning with a stick pushes earwax into the deeper layers of the ear canal, leading to the formation of a so-called earwax plug. It clogs the ear so much that it causes hearing loss and other unpleasant ailments.

This type of plug should not be removed by ourselves, but only with the help of an ENT specialist.

8 symptoms of earwax build-up

When the ear canal becomes blocked by a wax plug, the most common symptoms you may feel are:

  • hearing loss,
  • tinnitus,
  • dizziness,
  • feeling of fullness in the ear,
  • ear itching,
  • earache,
  • cough sometimes,
  • stinging in the ear.

These symptoms may worsen when showering or showering your head, and when you accidentally pour water into your ear.

See gallery 3 photos

How to remove excess earwax from your ears?

In the event that a plug forms, the safest method of removing excess earwax is an ENT procedure with the use of specialized tools.

The oldest technique for plug removal, but which is currently being abandoned, is ear rinsing. The ENT specialist directs the stream with a syringe and an aqueous solutionwater inside the ear to help flush out the earwax.

This method, however, has a downside: the plug can break off too abruptly and damage the eardrum (this is especially true when it is so stuck to the membrane that no part of it is visible).

In such a case, when the plug covers the entire membrane and there is a lot of earwax, the patient is sent home and for a few days he is told to use ear drops or earsprays containing substances that dissolve the earwax. Only after that, the patient can return to a thorough cleaning of the ear. The ENT specialist then cleans the ear with either a hook, an ear loop or an ear mammal.

How to properly clean your ears to avoid earwax build-up?

Although the outer ear cleans itself, the auricles cannot do it anymore, so you should wash them like the rest of your body - with soap and water.

Not everyone has the same ear self-cleaning mechanism, so additional cleaning methods can be used in:

  • people with a narrow ear canal, with abnormal ear anatomy,
  • people with dermatological diseases, e.g. atopic dermatitis,
  • toddlers and older people who have a tendency to be clogged with earwax.

The best solutions are liquids and drops that facilitate the dissolution of earwax, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. The position in which the ear should be instilled when the above-mentioned agents are administered is the lying position. The ear should be pointing upwards so that the drops can easily flow into it.

After dispensing the earwax dissolving solution, lie down with your ear up for a while and then change your position to instill the other ear. If there is already dissolved secretion from the dropped ear, you can wipe it off with a tissue.

The ear sticks that we are still so eager to clean the middle of the ear with should be forgotten. This is because we push the earwax inside and cause it to stick to the eardrum, causing unpleasant ailments, including ear inflammation.

Although it may seem to us that we collect secretion with a stick, it is often an illusion, because we usually only remove the superficial dirt and the rest of the wax is pushed inside.

In turn, when we try to clean the ear too much and stick the stick as far as possible to the ear canal, we can even damage the eardrum and permanent hearing loss. Why shouldn't you clean your ear with sticks yet? Because a piece of it can get stuck in the ear and cause earwax to startstick to it, and thus stick the ear canal.

Category:

He alth