EAR CLEANING

Most of us have the habit of cleaning our ears with readily available cotton buds or other cotton applicators. Instead of cleaning the ears, such instruments can injure the external auditory canal or push the wax deep in the passage. A common belief that wax accumulates due to dusty surroundings is incorrect. Wax is the secretion of wax secreting glands of the external auditory canal and helps to trap bacteria and dust particles. Thus wax help in protecting the ear from dust, bacteria and foreign bodies. Normally we do not have to clean the ears due to self cleaning property of the ear as a result of outward migration of the skin of the ear passage but if water enters the ear and makes the wax hard or the wax gets pushed due to using of buds then the patient feels pain, heaviness and hearing impairment. In such cases firstly the wax has to be softened with wax softeners containing turpentine oil and then one should get the services of some ENT specialist to get the wax removed by suction, dry moping or by syringing with luke warm water. In cases of perforation of the drum ,syringing with water is to avoided.