“Ear wax” is not really useful or “ear picking” is it necessary or not?
Have you ever noticed why in hotels or resorts? Usually have cotton buds Or cotton swabs for the bathroom for the regular guests And many people tend to take it out and use it for a spin after taking a shower. Because I think that it is what needs to be done in order to clean the ears as well. While many people have a habit of picking their ears Because of an itchy ear Or do not like having earwax attached.
Did you know? Earwax is useful
Earwax is a natural substance. It is produced from the earwax producing glands that are located under the skin around the ear canal Which contains enzymes that protect bacteria And fungi not to grow in the ear canal
Earwax has many benefits than we think.
- Moisturizes and prevents the skin inside the ear canal from becoming too dry.
- Traps dust, dirt, foreign matter from the outside
- Absorb the dead skin cells within the ear canal.
The ear holes are self-cleaning.
When earwax is present, the mechanism of ear canal works gradually. Automatically pushes outward earwax, earwax will gradually be pushed from the inside of the ear canal to the outside near the exit of the ear canal. And jaw movements such as chewing food or moving the face It helps to achieve this process of natural cleaning. When earwax is pushed to the outside of the ear canal, it will dry and powder and come off on its own, and every time you wash your face, it will remove the wax.
Danger from picking up / spinning ears
Picking up your ears can cause damage to the outer ear. Which consists of the auricle, ear canal and tympanic membrane Which can cause problems later as follows
- Ear injury (Traumatic ear canal injury), ears, wounds, bleeding, swelling, pain, tinnitus.
Treatment method: Suck blood that remains in the ear canal. And may consider antibiotics in combination with pain medication
- Otitis externa (Acute otitis externa) caused by a bacterial infection. It usually occurs 3-4 days after picking up the ear. There is pain in the ear, swelling, tinnitus, water or pus flow from the ear If severe, the infection can spread to the ear or surrounding areas.
Treatment method: suction pus and clean the ear canal. And use antibiotic drops In severe cases, oral antibiotics may be considered.
- The tympanic tympanic membrane perforation is caused by the direct damage of the tympanic membrane. Often have tinnitus symptoms immediately after picking up the ears Rumbling is heard in the ears. May feel like air is passing out of the ear May occur in conjunction with an external ear infection
Treatment guidelines: The doctor will assess the injury of the ear canal. And eardrum And treatment of outer ear inflammation first In general, the perforation can close up to 90% on its own. Your doctor will see you ongoing appointments. And check hearing If the hole does not close itself within 3 months with hearing loss. Or noise The doctor will continue to consider surgery to close the eardrum.
Ear wax clogged, what to do?
Using a cotton swab to clean the outer ear canal Especially after showering, because water enters the ears, it will stimulate earwax production. Therefore there is a greater amount of ear wax produced And the more the earwax is pushed in the ear canal to be more compact Earwax thus clogs the outer ear canal more.
If you suspect earwax blockage Until causing abnormal symptoms such as tinnitus, ringing in the ears Or a severe earache, should see a doctor to diagnose whether the earwax is actually blocked or not If found that the ear wax is clogged The doctor will rinse the outer ear canal with saline solution, clamp or suck, or use a tool to remove earwax.
If the wax cannot be removed Because the earwax is very packed together Or can only be partially removed The doctor will prescribe a drug to dissolve ear wax to be instilled, including sodium carbonate. Which after instilling the ear Will make the wax in the ear canal expand And more blockage of the outer ear canal Causing tinnitus more, should be instilled 7-8 times a day to soften the earwax And easier to remove In most cases, doctors will give the patient a drop of earwax dissolving medicine for about a week and make an appointment to check again.
