Earwax
Earwax
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Think of earwax as the gatekeeper to your very delicate inner ear structures, and you're likely to be a lot more respectful about how you go about removing the stuff.
Before you reach for that cotton swab, bobby pin or paper clip, listen to Donna Jean Millay, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology at the University of Vermont and staff physician at Fletcher Allen Medical Center, both in Burlington: "Never, ever poke around in your ear with anything, for any reason whatsoever! You could easily puncture your eardrum."
You might not even need to remove earwax, says Evelyn Kluka, M.D., director of pediatric otolaryngology at Children's Hospital in New Orleans. "Earwax usually acts as a lubricant and as a protective cleanser. A certain amount of earwax enables debris to slide from the inner to the outer part of the ear canal, where it can be wiped away with a cloth."
TIDIER EARS, WITHOUT PROBING
Here's what women doctors say about earwax removal.
De-wax your outer ear. "Remember hearing Mom remind you to wash your ears when you took a bath?" asks Barbara Hopson, R.N., a certified nurse practitioner at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center Occupational Health Unit in Dallas. "Well, Mom was right. When you don't cleanse away excess earwax, it can build up, harden and plug up your ears, which results in hearing loss." To remove excess wax in your outer ear easily and safely, she recommends using a washcloth that's just slightly damp, not soaked, to gently wipe out the outer portion of your ear, without poking the towel in your ear canal.
Oil away excess wax. If you can see wax on the cloth, says Dr. Kluka, you have too much wax in your ear. To soften and liquefy hardened earwax, she recommends warming baby oil or olive oil to body temperature and placing a few drops in your ear. "Hold your head to one side, put the drops in, rub your ear, then tilt your head over to let the drops run out. The drops should carry the excess wax out with them."
When To See A Doctor
If you experience a sudden hearing loss in one ear only, it could be caused by impacted earwax. To verify the cause (and, if necessary, have earwax removed professionally), see a doctor. Also, ask if you should have a health care professional clean your ears regularly.
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Use a baby syringe. "I like the over-the-counter wax removal products like Debrox or Cerumenex," says Hopson. She recommends removing excess wax monthly. For easy-does-it removal, she suggests that you "use a baby-size ear syringe instead of the bulb syringe that comes with the kit to flush the wax away after using the drops. The adult version uses too much pressure. Or, instead of a syringe, stand under the shower and let warm water flow gently over your ear."
"If you have a reaction, like itching or irritation, discontinue using the product," adds Dr. Millay.
