How to clear your ear blockage?
Ear blockage is normally cause by ear wax also medically known as cerumen,which is a yellowish waxy substance that is produced by the human ear canal to clean, lubricates and protects the ear from bacteria. Ear wax blockage is one of the most common, irritating ailments that can affect any of us at any time. But thankfully, it does not occur frequently.
Symptom of Ear wax Blockage
The symptom that you may experience in ear wax blockage is that the excessive ear wax may block the passage of sound in the ear canal, causing conductive hearing loss. If you experience this,m most likely you have ear wax blockage. However, in any case, it is best to seek help from professional bodies.
Traditional method
Whenever we experience ear wax blockage, we would normally employed the irrigation or “syringing” for the wax removal. This process involved pulling the external ear up and back, and using a spray type ear washer, aim the nozzle of the syringe slightly upwards and backwards such that the water flows as a cascade along the roof of the canal. In this way, the irrigation solution (often warm water) flows out of the canal taking its wax and debris together with it. However, this can prove to be a prolonged and often painful process. Having too much Spraying force can cause the ear drum to perforate and if no force is applied, the ear wax will not be removed. Therefore, this method is greatly dependence on luck.
Medicinal Method
For a better and safer method, it will be through the use of medicine or what we called softeners. This process is often known as cerumenolysis and is done using a solution known as a cerumenolytic agent or ear drop. This agent is drop into the ear canal and usually it will make the wax come out. However, if it does not, this method can then be facilitates with the traditional methods and this time it will be safer. Because, once the wax is soften, it doesn’t take too much force to bring the wax out of the ear.
Commercially available ear drops include but not limited to:
The way to go about using the ear drop is as below:
Step to apply Ear Drop
1) Wash your hands before you apply the ear drops.
2) Read the instructions on the label
3) Remove the seal
4) Shake the bottle before using the medication.
5) Tilt your head so that the ear to be treated is facing upwards.
6) Hold the external ear flap backward and upward. For children younger than 3 years old, hold the external ear flap backward and downward.
7) Apply the right number of drops as prescript to you into the ear. Usually it is 2 drops. Avoid touching the ear with the dropper.
8) Remain in the same position for about 5 minutes to allow the medicine to flow into the ear.
9) Tilt your head to the other side to allow the ear drop together with the wax to come out of the ear.
Others Interesting Method
This interesting method is normally used when your blockage is at the Eustachian tube also known as ear barotraumas. It is often resulted from a difference in pressure between your middle and outer ear rather than ear wax.
First, you can employ preventive measures. Do not sleep while the plane is descending and instead try to yawn, chew gum or drink water frequently. When diving, dive down or up slowly whereby allowing yourself ample time to readjust to new pressure.
Second, try to do a gentle Valsalva maneuver. To do it, take a deep breath, hold your mouth closed, plug your nose closed, and force air up the Eustachian tubes by blowing. You will feel a pop if the technique works. However, be sure not to blow too forcibly or you could damage your ears.
ping your ears to equalize the pressure between your middle and outer ears to relive the pain. This can be done by inhaling deeply, pursing your lips, holding your nose shut, and then exhaling suddenly.
Lastly, you could place a warm compress on your ear. This could be done using a washcloth soaked in hot water and placing it over your ear. It should help ease the pain.
Warning !! Do not try method
Do not try to use the cotton bug to unblock your ear wax as it is potentially risky for three reasons. Firstly, if you have a lot of ear wax in your ear, placing the cotton bug into the canal will tend to pack it down, which can turn a partial blockage into a complete blockage. Second, you may damage the ear drum if the cotton bug is inserted too deeply. And lastly, if you scratch your ear canal skin, you may cause a painful infection of the ear canal.
