Is it OK to use Q-tips or other objects to remove excess earwax?
by Admin
Posted on 21-07-2022 08:48 AM
What is ear wax?
Ear wax is about as appealing to think about as boogers, which is why i try not to bring up the topic that often. But it's hard not to be top of mind when you suspect you have a wax problem.
You know, when your air pods are crusted with yellowish goo and you start having trouble h
ear
ing out of one of your ears? [shudders]
first of all: everyone has ear wax, and as icky as it looks, it's 1000 percent normal (and necessary). “people think of ear wax as something dirty, but it isn’t,” says linda dahl, md, an otolaryngologist in private practice in midtown manhattan, and author of tooth and nail: the making of a female fight doctor.
By kathleen doheny healthday reporter friday, feb. 1 (healthday news) - an over-the-counter ear wax softener may cause inflammation and damage to the eardrum and inner ear, and harm hearing in the process, report canadian researchers who made the discovery in an animal study. The researchers looked at the effect of a softener called cerumenex on hearing and the ear cells in chinchillas, a standard model for this type of research. The product is no longer sold in the united states, according to a spokesman for its manufacturer, purdue pharma lp. "purdue discontinued u. S. Distribution of this product in 2002," james heins said.
Ear wax ('cerumen') is pretty useful for keeping infections and water off your precious ear drums. But too much of it can be uncomfortable and even interfere with your hearing, so the best ear wax removers help you get excess wax under control safely at home. Most ear wax removers come as ear drops. The most common active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide (which "fizzes" in your ear and breaks down ear wax, so it then falls out), closely followed by olive oil (which softens the wax, and appeals to many people as a more natural solution). Sodium bicarbonate and even sea water are also popular ear wax remover ingredients.
Wax is an important and natural secretion found in the ear. It keeps the ear canal lubricated and protects the ear against dust, dirt and bacteria, which helps to prevent infection. Wax, or cerumen as it is also known, is composed of epithelium (skin cells), dust and oily secretions from the sebaceous and ceruminous glands in the ear canal. These secretions lubricate the ear canal and prevent it becoming too dry. The composition of wax varies from individual to individual depending on diet, age and environment.
What causes wax in the ears to build up?
Okay, so the idea of ear wax may seem a little off putting! no one is 100% certain if there is an excessive build-up of ear wax and that their ears need a good cleaning, because it’s something we can’t see. A large proportion of us use cotton buds every day to give our lugs a good clean as part of our daily hygiene routine, however, this can be dangerous and affect hearing.
Oleax olive oil ear wax softener is a safer and easier way to gently rinse away ear wax build-up that is 100% organic.
Get new articles direct to your inbox. Subscribe to this blog via email. What's the best hearing aid on the market? there appears to be much debate on-line about the best method of removing troublesome ear-wax. The truth is that ear-wax only really becomes troublesome when the ear-canal becomes occluded - blocked or almost completely blocked by a gradual build up of wax. Under these circumstances whatever is administered into the ear-canal does not really penetrate very deeply and only serves to soften or breakdown the outer layers of that plug of wax. We at hearing matters performed a short study of two methods of earwax softening on clients we saw in our clinics.