Posted on June 23, 2008 in Ear, Nose & Throat
Ear wax is a protective coating for the outer ear canal leading to the eardrum. Limited amounts of earwax are a necessity for healthy ear. Usually soft by nature the earwax is easily removable without causing trouble. But, in case the earwax builds up and becomes hard and dry, there can be several problems.
- You can have a blocked feeling in the ear.
- There can be hearing trouble.
- Discomfort in ear because of earache.
- You may also feel some kind of ringing inside your ear.
- Pain in ear can lead to fever.
There is however some preventive measures to avoid building up of earwax.
- Using ear plugs while working near dust can prevent building of earwax.
- Using 1-2 drops of mineral oil every week can keep the earwax soft and avoid drying.
- Point your chin towards your chest while applying soap or shampoo during bathing. This also prevents building up of earwax due to accumulation of soap or shampoo inside the ear canal.
Even after this if you find earwax builds inside the ear, there are some home based treatments that can be used to avoid the end results of excessive earwax. These are easy to use and readily available and can help you in getting out of the troubles. The most commonly used treatments at home are listed below.
- Warm paraffin oil or any other mineral oil (2-3 teaspoons) just above the body temperature and fill in the ear to be de waxed with a few drops of the warm oil using an eye dropper. Stay still for 5 minutes and then empty the oil in a sink. This method can soften the wax or even dissolve it completely. After pouring out the oil, wash your ear with some warm water. This will wash away the soft wax.
- Make a solution of a tablespoon of baby oil or hydrogen peroxide with warm water and drop a few drops of the solution in the ear. Then tilt the ear on a towel or a clean cloth. This will wash out the wax. This method is however not suitable for sensitive ear canal and infected or puncture ear drums because hydrogen peroxide can worsen the condition of an infected ear.
If these home treatments give you some favorable result then you can avoid some huge expenses in terms of doctor’s fee and expensive medicines. In case they don’t then, you have no other alternative to count on your doctor no matter what the fee is and the medical expense need to be borne because your ear is valuable and you are responsible to take care of them.
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