How do I remove a wax plug from the ear?

How do I remove a wax plug from the ear?

What is earwax?

In the external auditory canal, the part between the fleshy part of the ear and the middle ear is the ceruminous glands and the sebaceous glands. Both manufacture and secrete substances that form the so-called liquid cerumen. This cerumen, after being deposited in the ear canal, and after a time in which it solidifies and mixes with hair, dust, and epithelial cells of the canal, forms the conglomerate that we know as cerumen.

This performs important functions for the health of our ear: protecting it from bacteria and fungi, thanks to its acidic pH and containing lipids with antibacterial action, lubricating and moisturizing it, and, if water gets in, preventing it from becoming irritated. In addition, it can trap dirt, dust, and other particles that could damage or alter the eardrum.

What are wax plugs?

The ear canal is constantly making wax, but it doesn't normally build up, because when we move our jaws to talk, chew, or yawn, it slowly moves into the ear canal. When it reaches its outermost part, we eliminate it with the usual hygiene and grooming habits.

However, this self-cleaning mechanism of the ear can fail and the earwax is retained. When this happens, it builds up and wax plugs can form. In fact, these are the reason for frequent consultation in Primary Care, since any obstacle that stands in the way of sound from its emission to its reception reduces the ability to hear.

Why do wax plugs form?

Wax plugs do not occur as a result of poor hygiene, but wax can accumulate and clog the ear canal when there is excess secretion or it is not appropriately removed for some reason.

For example, cleaning with cotton swabs can push and compact earwax against the eardrum and cause a blockage. Attempts to extract the wax with utensils such as clips, hairpins, or cotton wool only aggravate the problem.

Other factors that can prevent earwax from being expelled normally are the use of hearing aids, having too narrow or deformed ear canals, having undergone previous ear surgery, suffering from dermatological conditions, or having abundant hair in the ear canal.

It can also happen that the glands that produce earwax atrophy with age, so that secretions from the ear canal dry out, due to loss of water, faster than normal. For this reason, wax plugs are more frequent among the elderly.

What symptoms do they cause?

When earwax accumulates in the ear, symptoms can occur even without complete occlusion, as they also depend on factors such as where the plug is located, the anatomy and length of the ear canal, and the permeability of the plug's seal.

Often, there is the sensation of a foreign body that seems to move when chewing -because the auditory pavilion is mobilized-. There may also be tinnitus, ear pain, itching, dizziness, and vertigo.

If the occlusion is complete, hearing loss may occur, which can occur suddenly when water enters the ear - which occurs more frequently in summer, when bathing is more common - or due to humidity. In any case, wax plugs are not a cause of permanent deafness.

It can also happen that, although the plug is large and compact, the hearing loss is minimal, because there is a small hole that allows sound to pass through.

In general, in people who hear normally, wax plugs do not affect daily life tasks too much, but if there are pathologies or previous hearing deficiencies, the additional loss that the plug adds can alter the usual routine.

This can also be more easily disturbed in people who wear hearing aids, who see their communication possibilities reduced and, therefore, feel more isolated, if they have a wax plug. In this case, it is not even necessary for the earwax to completely block the ear canal for problems to arise: it is enough for the hearing aid to be covered by the earwax for it to not work properly. Sometimes, it can happen that the device docks and beeps.

How are earwax plugs treated?

There are different ways to remove wax plugs, a procedure that must be carried out by a health professional to avoid damage to the ear canal.

In the first place, it is usually necessary to soften the cerumen one day before the extraction with the application of drops of hydrogen peroxide or specific products for this purpose -cerumenolytics-. Afterward, the extraction is carried out.

The most common technique is irrigation washing, which consists of introducing abundant liquid into the ear using a syringe or a bulb filled with warm water. This method is contraindicated for people who may have perforated eardrums or who have previously undergone ear surgery.

In addition to irrigation, the wax can be suctioned out with a suction instrument or using forceps or a curved device.

It should be noted that while young people quickly perceive the symptoms of wax plugs and seek assistance, the elderly often do not. This often leads to a worsening of their isolation.

Surgery may be an indication on very rare occasions when some severe ear pathologies favor the accumulation of earwax.

How to prevent earwax plugs:

The following guidelines can help prevent the formation of earwax plugs in the ear canal:

1. Remove only the earwax that comes out.

That is, clean your ear using, for example, the corner of a towel.

2. Do not dig to extract the wax.

Do not insert cotton swabs, forks, or any other instrument into your ear to remove it. You could push the earwax further into the ear and compact it, as well as damage the lining of your ear canal or puncture your eardrum.

3. Go to the doctor if you notice symptoms.

Especially in case of sudden hearing loss. If the GP or ENT confirms that it is a plug, she will remove it, while ruling out more serious conditions.

4. Do not try to remove the plug at home. Do not use seawater sprays or diffusers to try to soften it, as continuously moistening the ear canals increases the risk of infections. Also, do not use auricular candles -ear cones- to try to soften the wax, since you could cause burns to the face or external auditory canal or perforations in the eardrum.