[MERGED] Problem with EARWAX..help!

archerguy

My cousin has a problem in his ears. He doesn't clean them regularly since childhood so earwax has accumulated and hardened. We went to a swimming party last week and after that his hearing was impaired because poolwater clogged his ears. My auntie tried clearing them out with cotton buds but nothing happened; the wax was being pushed farther. Both ears have wax. He is in panic because he cannot hear well. What can he do? One of our neighbors who happens to be a nurse said that they could try mixing baby oil and hydrogen peroxide. Pero he's in doubt. Can it be operated? Mababasag ba ang ear drums?




[This message has been edited by archerguy (edited 06-22-2000).]

batang uliran

The baby oil and hydrogen peroxide bit actually works. It could be instilled into the ear in question daily until the impacted cerumen (ear wax) softens.

HOWEVER, I suggest going to an ENT to have it checked out to make sure this is the problem and not something else more serious.

treenie

what we do in the ent dept. if there's impacted cerumen is to irrigate the ears, that is, if the eardrums are intact. if the earwax adheres to the ear canal or is too hard to be removed, 3 drops of baby oil should be dropped 3 times a day for 3 days to soften the earwax. aural irrigation can be done after the earwax softens. suctioning may be done too if the eardrum is perforated.after the procedure, otic drops must be instilled.

chick-boy

go to a good ENT.
they will inject some stuff that dissolves the hardened ear wax then they have this mini vacuum-like thing that will suck the ear wax out! i went through this ordeal b4 and after coming out of the clinic i had 'bionic' hearing ang tining ng pang dinig ko

archerguy

Thanks for the tip!

citylight88

Dear doctors,

I have this problem with my ear. Earwax seems to have accumulated inside my ear but I can't scoop it out with those chinese ear cleaners (the mini sticks with spoon heads). My hearing has significantly reduced. My friends told me that I should have my earwax 'syringged?' daw . Can I remove it alone? Please recommend me naman an ENT through PM. An ENT who has scooping instruments. Thanks.

Ira

Do not try to remove that with a cerumen scooper-- eardrum perforation and infection are very common complications with use of that instrument.

You can try using Otosol ear drops on your impacted cerumen for a couple of days. Tilt your head so the affected ear points toward the ceiling. Fill the affected ear canal with Otosol, stay in a head tilted position for at least 4-5 minutes, then insert a cotton wool plug. Repeat this process 1-2x times a day for 2 days to soften the cerumen and see if you can gently wipe the earwax off with a cotton bud. If it still doesn't work, you can visit any ENT for removal of the earwax--all ENTs have instruments for removing it and it doesn't take any special skill for earwax removal, so ask your family, friends or neighbors to recommend you an ENT close to your neighborhood.

If you are previously diagnosed to have a perforated eardrum or if you have ear redness/irritation, see a recommended ENT and don't use Otosol anymore.

citylight88

Thank you Doc Ira. I have one question though. After my post I researched about earwax in the Internet . They said exactly what you advised. They also said that there are earwax softeners that are too strong and can damage the eardrum, therefore it is recommended that we use mild ones instead. Is Otosol safe and gentle? And is it ok that when I go to the ENT I can I just take it one ear at a time and have the other one cleaned in another day? Medyo takot lang ako kasi baka mabasag ang mga eardrums ko...I might end up being DEAF after the cleaning sessions. :( Pupunta kasi kami sa Puerto Galera and hassle ang earwax...barado ears ko after swimming. Thanks.

Ira

Yup, Otosol is a gentle and effective solution. Its generic name is docusate sodium. If you go to an ENT, he or she might even advice you to use that first for a couple of days before ear irrigation is contemplated. If the ear impaction is severe enough that Otosol doesn't work anymore, then you can either have just one ear or both ears done, although having just one ear done at a time is a waste of money. Don't worry about being deaf or getting perforated eardrums, because chances of that happening is close to zero, unless you go to someone who doesn't know what he or she is doing--if you go to a licensed ENT, that won't happen. The procedure is minor and it doesn't hurt (although it can be very ticklish). The ENT will either irrigate the ear canal with small jets of water, or suction it, or use a curette and remove the cerumen under direct visualization. Whatever method is used, you'll realise that there's nothing to worry about once you're there.

citylight88

Maraming salamat ma'm. How much for the consultation and prescription? I'll pay.

Ira

You're welcome. Next time na lang ako maniningil.

phantom

My friend's sister in the Phil has otitis media (sp?). Her right ear is totally deaf because of that. She's kinda shy and withdrawn, especially because of some foul-smelling liquid oozing out of the infected ear. This has been a neglected case for years now because of financial problems. Is there still hope to alleviate or totally cure this ailment? Any specialist in the Phil they could visit? Thanks.

Ira

Chronic otitis media is an infection and can be cured, although the hearing loss may not improve anymore even when the infection is halted. Have her see an ENT for regular follow-up--one of the very common complications of otitis media is that the infection will spread to the brain, and it makes treatment so much harder.

archerguy

Hello doc Ira. I read somewhere that totally removing all the earwax will make the ears feel dry and itchy. Earwax has benefits too since they trap dirt to prevent them from infecting the ear. Is too much cleaning of ears using cotton buds or removing all of them through irrigation a bad thing to do?

Ira

It's not adviseable to remove cerumen daily, but it's still adviseable to do it maybe once or twice a week. Some people produce too much earwax compared to the normal population, or they don't clean at all, causing too much cerumen buildup and eventual impaction, hence, the need to have it professionally removed. If that happens, there is no harm in having it professionally irrigated--you don't do this everyday, anyway.

mac_bolan00

as my doctor-friend explains it, the human ear is basically self-cleaning. trouble is, mine seems to secrete wax rather fast. the doc has warned me against any home remedy except this:

pour diluted H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) into the clogged ear and hold for 10 minutes, then drain. do this for a week.

the first time, there was some improvement but not enough to remove the hardened plug. so he prescribed autosol for one week. syringing didn't work after that so he applied lydocane and manually scrapped the wax out. felt great!

now, 2 years later, the problem has returned. back to the peroxide routine.

problem: it's almost a week now and there is only a slight improvement (popping sound and occasional clearing as evidenced by a 'wind-tunnel' sound).

what's the danger of continuing the peroxide treatment beyond 1 week?

thanks doctor.

Ira

No problem using the hydrogen peroxide chronically, so go ahead. However, if your cerumen is already, um, stone-hard, the peroxide may only work to a very limited extent, so you'll probably end up seeing an ENT again for manual removal. Better start Otosol for a week if that's the case.

mac_bolan00

thanks, dr. ira.

vp18

doc ira
when I open my mouth wide I often hear a cracking/poping sound inside my ear Also when I listen to music with my walkman ( not that loud) , when I turn off the volume I hear this popping sound too. . No pain at all. But is this a sign that I have hardened ear wax inside my ear ?

Ira

No, it isn't. That's the ear's eustachean tube. You will occassionally hear popping sounds when the tube opens up during changes in pressure. It's harmless.

chercalvin_fan

hi there. just a thought. one time i watched morning girls and may na discuss sila sa k2k na its not proper daw to clean ears with cotton buds.sa outside lang sya.pero sa inside may solution daw na nilalagay dun.my question is whats the name yung liquid solution na yun?and how do i go about it?thanks