Ear Wax is a yellowish, waxy material inside the ear that comes from the sebaceous gland in the ear canal. It is also known as cerumen.
Earwax lubricates, cleans, and protects the lining of the ear canal. It does this by repelling water, trapping dirt, and ensuring that insects, fungi, and bacteria do not get through the ear canal and harm the eardrum.
Earwax consists primarily of shed layers of skin.
It contains:
- keratin: 60 percent
- saturated and unsaturated long-chain fatty acids, squalene, and alcohols: 12–20 percent
- cholesterol 6–9 percent
Earwax is slightly acidic, and it has antibacterial properties. Without earwax, the ear canal would become dry, waterlogged, and prone to infection.
However, when earwax accumulates or becomes hard, it can cause problems, including hearing loss.
Then what should we do ?
Ear irrigation is an ear cleansing method that people use to remove a buildup of earwax. Irrigation involves inserting liquid into the ears to flush the earwax out.
The medical term for ear wax is cerumen. A buildup of earwax can cause symptoms such as impaired hearing, dizziness, and even ear pain.
Doctors will not recommend ear irrigation for people with certain medical conditions and those who have had eardrum tube surgery. They may also have concerns about a person carrying out ear irrigation at home.
In this article, we discuss the benefits and risks of ear irrigation and explain how most people perform it.
A doctor performs ear irrigation to remove an earwax buildup, which can cause the following symptoms:
- hearing loss
- chronic cough
- itching
- pain
There are not many studies looking at ear irrigation to remove earwax.
In a 2001 studyTrusted Source, researchers studied 42 people with an earwax buildup that persisted after five attempts at syringing.
Some of the participants received a few drops of water 15 minutes ahead of ear irrigation at the doctor’s office, while others used earwax softening oil at home before going to bed. They did this for 3 days in a row before coming back for irrigation with water.
The researchers found that there was no statistical difference between using drops of water or oil to soften earwax buildups before irrigation with water. Both groups required a similar number of irrigation attempts to remove the earwax afterward. Neither technique caused any severe side effects.
However, there is some concern among doctors that ear irrigation could cause eardrum perforation, and a hole in the eardrum would allow water into the middle portion of the ear. Using an irrigation device that manufacturers have created specifically to irrigate the ear may help minimize this risk.
Another important consideration is to use water at room temperature. Water that is too cold or hot can cause dizziness and lead to the eyes moving in a fast, side-to-side manner due to acoustic nerve stimulation. Hot water can also potentially burn the eardrum.
Some groups of people should not use ear irrigation because they have a higher risk of eardrum perforation and damage. These people include individuals with severe otitis externa, also known as swimmer’s ear, and those with a history of:
- ear damage due to sharp metal objects in the ear
- eardrum surgery
- middle ear disease
- radiation therapy to the ear
Some of the potential side effects of ear irrigation include:
- dizziness
- middle ear damage
- otitis externa
- perforation of the eardrum
If a person experiences symptoms such as sudden pain, nausea, or dizziness after irrigating their ear, they should stop immediately.
Ear irrigation can be an effective earwax removal method for people who have a buildup of earwax in one or both of their ears. Excess earwax can lead to symptoms that include hearing loss.
Although a person can make an ear irrigation kit to use at home, it may be safest to buy and use a kit from a store or online.
If a person has persistent earwax buildup, they should talk to their doctor about using ear irrigation as an earwax removal method. Alternatively, a person can use earwax softening drops or ask their doctor to perform mechanical earwax removal
Post time: Sep-06-2022