March 28, 2024

Anti-Blockage and Earwax Buildup Prevention

Anti-Blockage and Earwax Buildup Prevention

Anti-Blockage and Earwax Build-up Prevention: Unfortunately, hearing loss is a regular occurrence among the elderly.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately one-third of persons aged 65 to 74 have hearing loss. In contrast, nearly half of Americans over 75 have hearing impairments.

This isn’t a coincidence. Earwax buildup undoubtedly worsens with age. Blockages afflict only 5% of healthy people, but they are more common among the elderly. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, this issue affects 57% of nursing home residents.

Changes in the glands in the ear cause the earwax, or cerumen, to become drier as people age, making it more difficult to clean the ears as thoroughly as it once was. As a result, earwax is more likely to build in the ear canal and cause a blockage. Blockages can be uncomfortable or cause ear fullness, itching, discharge, or hearing loss.

Hearing loss can be abrupt or gradual, temporary or permanent, .depending on the reason. Excess earwax is one such cause of slow and often reversible hearing loss that is often disregarded.

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Ear Wax Removal Southport

What exactly is earwax?

The body creates earwax (a waxy oil called cerumen) to protect the ears. Together with the hairs that border the ear canal, this sticky substance helps trap dust, bacteria, and other foreign things, preventing them from entering deep into the ear and injuring the eardrum, middle ear, and inner ear.

Earwax also protects the delicate skin of the ear canal from irritation caused by water during bathing and swimming.

Earwax accumulation

Earwax usually enters the pinna and falls out or is washed away. However, some people’s ear canal glands produce more earwax than can be easily eliminated. Excess earwax can solidify and cause a blockage in the ear canal.

Traditional “cleaning” treatments, such as inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal, can often cause an obstruction by pushing earwax deeper into the ear.

One of the most common reasons for hearing loss is an earwax blockage. Among the symptoms of excessive earwax buildup are:

Earache

Ear congestion or a sensation of fullness in the ear.

Ear noises such as ringing and buzzing (tinnitus)

Possible deterioration of partial hearing loss

Dizziness

When should you go to the doctor?

A blockage of earwax cannot be noticed merely by glancing at the pinna.

Otoscopes are necessary to inspect an aged person’s ear canal to establish if there is a blockage and to rule out other causes of symptoms such as hearing loss.

The primary care physician can examine the ear and make treatment recommendations in minor situations. However, in extreme circumstances, it may be essential to consult with a specialist who specializes focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses of the ears, nose, and throat (ENT doctor).

A clinician can remove a particularly severe blockage by continuously washing the ear canal, suctioning the ear canal, or scooping up the earwax using a curette (a small, curved device).

Treatments for earwax at home

If the obstruction is a recurring issue, a doctor may recommend earwax removal tools and techniques or home remedies to avoid earwax buildup.

To soften the wax before rinsing, ear, nose, and throat doctors typically recommend mild treatments. Mineral oil, baby oil, glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, or commercial ear drops are examples.

Body-temperature water is utilized in the rinse to flush out the ear canal. (Using colder or warmer water may produce transient but severe dizziness, so proceed with caution.) Holding the pinna (the outer part of the ear) and gradually tugging upward, keep your head erect and straighten the ear canal.

Direct a little stream of water onto the ear canal wall near the cerumen plug with a syringe. Drain the water by tilting your head.

To be effective, the watering may need to be performed numerous times. After removing the earwax, carefully dry the ear. Put a few drops of alcohol in the ear or use a hairdryer on low heat to eliminate any leftover moisture.

two older people sitting at table

Avoidable treatments

Ear candles and other alternative medicine therapies are not advised. Candles are not only inefficient at eliminating earwax, but they can also cause burns, additional blockage of the ear canal, and even eardrum perforation.

Do not use a dental flush (such as a WaterPik) to rinse the ear since the force of the jet can harm the eardrum.

Hard instruments, such as tweezers or a paper clip should not be used to remove hardened earwax. This can cause considerable damage to the ear canal as well as eardrum injury.

Earwax removal methods should never be performed on older people who have a perforated eardrum. Hearing loss and fluid leakage are symptoms of an eardrum rupture.

When the eardrum is ruptured, self-treatment of earwax buildup can result in an ear infection or acoustic trauma.

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