Earwax plugs are benign but are responsible for transient hearing loss and vertigo. If certain solutions exist to overcome them, regular hygiene of the ears makes it possible to avoid them. Discover the basic gestures for washing your ears, all the more important if you are prone to earwax plugs.
Certain gestures are responsible for the formation of earplugs. Avoid them and learn to wash your ears gently.
Available in pharmacies, washing solutions exist in pods or sprays to prevent the formation of earwax plugs. Non-irritating, gentle cleansing agents dissolve waxy earwax particles for easier removal. They also help moisturize the skin of the external auditory canal. Attention, these solutions are contraindicated in case of perforation of the eardrum.
After leaning the head on the opposite side of the ear to be cleaned, the solution is to be instilled into the external canal. It is then possible to rinse with clear water or saline solution and then gently wipe the entrance to the external auditory canal.
Physiological serum is used in the same way for auricular hygiene. Instilled directly into the ear canal, it cleans but does not dissolve earwax as effectively as mild cleansing agents. Be careful not to direct the jet directly on the eardrum, nor to apply too much pressure with a pod or an enema pear.
Unless medical advice to the contrary, these solutions should not be used more than twice a week for optimal hygiene. For its skin protective role, anti-impurities, and anti-microbes, earwax must be respected. Eliminating it too frequently would be counterproductive.
The use of cotton swabs and ear picks should be avoided as they are often misused. These instruments penetrate too far into the external auditory canal and attack the skin. This is also the case for paper clips or other slender objects that are sometimes used. They can cause lesions of the eardrum, and irritation of the skin of the external auditory canal. In addition, these objects are regularly responsible for the formation of cerumen plugs:they pack the cerumen at the bottom of the ear and their repeated use leads to an overproduction of cerumen.
There are rods with a cup at their end, and adapted to the anatomy of the auditory canal. They have the advantage of not compacting the wax at the bottom of the ear.
Talking about the interest of washing the ears also means combating a received idea:earwax is not dirty. This natural substance is an interesting bulwark against agents that could harm the outer ear. It must therefore be respected rather than wanting to eliminate it at all costs. Excessive cleaning can even promote the appearance of otitis externa, i.e. inflammation of the external auditory canal. It is even advisable to stop using cleaning solutions during the treatment of ear infections.
Cleaning the ears once or twice a week with a suitable solution that drains impurities and other microbes trapped by earwax. It also helps prevent the formation of earwax plugs, especially in predisposed people. People who wear hearing aids must also carefully clean their devices according to the recommendations of the manufacturer or their audioprosthetist.
If earwax particularly bothers you, or if it turns out to be unsightly, the earwax can be gently removed mechanically during washing. A moist tissue or compress will do, but its removal should be limited to the outermost part of the external auditory canal and the auricle.
The followers of the swimming pool or bathing in the sea should not intensify the washing of the auditory canal. It is best to focus on drying the outer part of the ear well by dabbing with a clean, dry cloth, a handkerchief or a compress. Humidity promotes the appearance of otitis externa.
Until the age of 7, children have a narrower ear canal than adults. They are more prone to ear wax buildup, and the use of cotton swabs or ear cleaners is even riskier. Some liquid solutions are suitable for cleaning the ears of children and even babies from 6 months.
The ear is the organ responsible for hearing, but also for the balance of the body. When it clogs, hearing is affected, and dizziness may appear.
The outer ear picks up and amplifies sounds thanks to its pavilion made of cartilage. The horn-shaped external auditory canal follows the auricle. It conducts sounds to the eardrum, a vibrating membrane that transmits vibrations to the ossicles of the middle ear. Finally, the inner ear receives the sound vibrations and transmits them to the brain in the form of electrical impulses via the auditory nerve. The inner ear is also involved in the balance of the body.
The external auditory canal, also called the ear canal, is narrow:it measures less than one centimeter in diameter. It is also bent, which can favor its obturation. In the outermost part of the duct, there are many hairs that guard the entrance:their role is to prevent the largest dust from entering.
Located in the dermis of the external auditory canal, ceruminous glands secrete ear wax which coats the skin. This waxy substance is called earwax.
Cerumen, or ear wax, plays several roles in the outer ear:
By blocking the external auditory canal, cerumen plugs prevent the transmission of sound vibrations. They are thus responsible for deafness, accompanied by tinnitus and buzzing. The ear is sometimes painful and the external auditory canal may itch. In addition, the inner ear can no longer interpret the auditory message correctly:balance is affected, and dizziness can be felt.
Some people are more likely than others to form earwax plugs:
If an earplug is blocking your ear canal, you can try to dissolve it yourself. However, in some cases, medical consultation is mandatory.
Solutions available from your pharmacist are formulated to dissolve earwax plugs. Formulated with surfactants or xylene oil, the dissolution of the plug generally requires 3 days of treatment. By tilting the head in order to keep the liquid in the external auditory canal, it is necessary to perform an ear bath for one to ten minutes depending on the products.
The ear bath with oily products, a gentle rinse with lukewarm water and an ear bulb helps to evacuate the earwax gradually if the earwax plug is recent and still soft. In the case of surfactants, it is enough to wipe the discharge at the exit of the ear.
However, if the plug is old and the earwax is dry, it is called a hard plug. The intervention of a doctor may be necessary, but the instillation of solutions to dissolve the blockages will facilitate the extraction.
These products are contraindicated in case of tympanic perforation. If in doubt about their use, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Once the earwax plug has dissolved, following a gentle and appropriate weekly hygiene routine helps prevent recurrences.
If you doubt the integrity of your eardrum, a consultation with your doctor is essential before any introduction of liquid into your ear. Infections could develop quickly.
In addition, if the cork does not yield to treatment at home, an ENT doctor can extract it.
In case of fever, significant or persistent pain, if the ear is infected or if itching inside the external auditory canal persists, it is necessary to consult your doctor.
