Earwax Blockage

Earwax is an oily or waxy substance also known as cerumen. It is released into the ear for providing protection to the ear canal from any kind of damage from foreign bodies that enter the ear. When excessive earwax accumulates inside the ear, then it leads to the condition of earwax blockage. Other names given to this condition, are ear impaction, cerumen impaction etc.

Causes and Symptoms

The outer part of the ear canal consist of glands that produces cerumen or earwax. This wax along with the tiny hair follicles are responsible for trapping dust particles, allergens, micro organisms, water and other such elements inside the ear canal. In other words, it stops them from entering further into the inner part of the ear where the delicate eardrum is located.

Normally, the wax tend to come out of the ear canal along with the trapped dirt and fall off in the form of dry flakes. Most of the time, wrong techniques for ear cleaning causes this kind of blockage. This happens when cotton swabs, pencils, fingers are used to remove earwax. This pushes the earwax further inside the canal and it gets compressed against the eardrum. In some people, excess amount of earwax is being produced which will take more time to get excreted from the ear. This extra wax formed hardens up in the ear canal and cause ear blockage.

The first indication of an earwax blockage is a sense of fullness and stuffiness inside the ear. This often leads to tinnitus or ringing in the ear. Ear pain and partial hearing loss are the other two common symptoms. The hearing problem may get aggravated with each passing day.

Removal

When the symptoms are mild to moderate, then it can be treated at home only. For this purpose, you can use over-the-counter ear drops or hydrogen peroxide or baby oil. Tilt your head in such a way that the ear is pointed towards the ceiling. Take the liquid in a dropper and fill up the ear canal with it. Wait for about 10 minutes with your head in the tilted condition. Then straighten your head and cover your ear with a towel so that the applied liquid does not drip out of the ear. This way the earwax will get softened up. Now the wax needs to be drained out. For this, put a few drops of lukewarm water into the ear and tilt your head in the opposite direction in order to drain out the entire liquid from the ear. Finally dry up the ear with a soft towel or with the help of hair dryer. This is an effective method for removal of earwax blockage but it has to be repeated several times before you can completely get rid of the blockage.

If this home remedy fails to provide relief, then you should consult a doctor. There are several techniques that are used by doctors for earwax removal. The simplest of them all is the use of a earwax removal tool called curette. Irrigation is another popular method used for removing ear blockage. Here the wax is flushed out of the ear by directing a small stream of warm water into the ear canal with the help of a syringe. The technique of suctioning of ear canal is also highly beneficial in this regard.

Those who tend to get their ears blocked due to wax quite frequently, should clean their ear every week. If you have any ear problem like a tear or hole in the eardrum or had any ear surgery in the past, then you should not make any attempt to clear the block on your own. This can lead to some kind of ear infections, which could be an indication of a more serious condition.