"Ear Wax Removal Can Cause Tinnitus!"
There is and old saying which goes, "Don't stick anything into yours ears that is smaller than your elbow!" It is good advice and it is certainly well worth following.
Why do you think that box of cotton swabs has a warning about not sticking them in your ears?
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That’s why you should never stick anything into your ears or up the ear canal, even something as soft as a cotton swab must be kept well away from your ear canals.
Ear wax is not formed in the deep part of the ear canal near the eardrum, but only in the outer part of the canal.
Ear Wax
Ear wax is not formed in the deep part of the ear canal near the eardrum, but only in the outer part of the canal.
Instead of removing ear wax, what you are far more likely to achieve is to aggravate the situation by pushing the ear-wax, old skin and other debris towards and against the ear drum.
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The ear wax removal consisted of mainly shoving ear buds or cotton swabs, pens, pencils, hair pins or in fact, anything else that is handy, up the ear canal and having a good old scratch.
As mentioned earlier, this often only has the effect of pushing the ear wax and debris even further up the ear canal and against the ear drum.
Some aggresive pushing, scratching and scraping around in the ear canal is the norm.
This hearing loss is normally only due to the wax being “stopped up” against the ear drum and is not of a permanent nature.
Of course, sometimes the ear wax removal does lead to tinnitus.
Being the aggresive and determined creatures we are, we then visit our doctor with this irritating ear wax problem or itch, and he brings out his "big guns".
If the doctor deigns to perform the ear wax removal himself, which obviously is your best bet, he will rinse your ear canal out with high pressure jets of water.
Whilst this rather drastic ear wax removal procedure does have the desired effect of removing the ear wax, the shock and noise of the ear wax removal also often causes even further damage to the delicate organs of the inner ear.
Most damage is done to the cochlea, which has some 15,000 microscopic sensory hair cells and nerve endings which are very fragile and are easily damaged by the extreme shock and noise the jets of water create when hitting the ear drum.
Ear wax is good for you.
If water gets in your ear canal, while you're swimming or taking a shower, for instance, the earwax will cause the water to bead up and move away from your eardrum.
The natural slipperiness of the ear-wax encourages the water to run out of the canal.
Ear wax is also slightly acidic, which discourages bacterial or fungal growth in the moist, dark ear canal.
Without earwax, it would be almost impossible to avoid ear infections.
The ear wax that your body produces is part of a self-cleaning system.
Most people don't need to do any ear wax maintenance at all. The ear wax slowly migrates toward the opening of the ear canal and is sloughed off.
If you want, you can take a washcloth and, using your finger; gently wash the opening of your ear.
A small minority of people do produce unusually large amounts of earwax. If your ear canal keeps getting clogged, you may need to see a doctor occasionally to have it removed.
Make sure this ear wax is removed by an ENT specialist, using the correct equipment and procedures as described above.
Can you clean your ears of ear-wax yourself?
Sure you can, if you are gentle and follow the following guidelines.
Because the ear canal is hourglass-shaped, earwax often creates a plug that makes it difficult for the ear to come out on its own.
The best, and safest way to remove ear-wax safely is to use a solution of half white vinegar and half rubbing alcohol.
Tilt your head to one side and put in a few drops. Wait a few seconds, then tilt your head to the other side and let the waste drain out.
Removing ear wax on your own is not recommended if you have a history of ear infections or other ear problems such as a hole in the eardrum
Remember the following:
