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Michigan Hypertension Center Personal Adult Care with Academic Excellence |
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Ear wax is naturally formed as a lubrication for the ear canal. It is not related to hygiene. Some people have narrow ear canals making the buildup more problematic. If you notice a sudden decrease in hearing or it feels like your ear canal is blocked or has water in it, this maybe related to ear wax. Colds and allergies will also result in this sensation. If both ears are blocked, it is more likely due to the Eustachian tubes (the connection between the ears and throat) that are blocked and less likely to be due to ear wax. Decongestants (see "colds") are helpful for this, however cleaning the ear canal will not be harmful. If you wish to clean your ear canals, there are over-the-counter kits to help you that can be purchased at your local pharmacy. The kits contain hydrogen peroxide and water and a bulb for irrigation. Simply go to the pharmacy and look in the ear supply section and follow the directions. You may have to repeat this daily, until the wax is removed. Some people have a wax buildup the size of a marble! If this is not successful, you should make an appointment to have your ears irrigated at the office. To prevent the buildup of ear wax, we recommend that when you shower, you place shampoo or soap within the ear canal. This removes wax (oil) to prevent the buildup. You then pull the ear back and up and irrigate the ear canal from the shower head to remove the soap. You should not do this if you have a known hole in your eardrum, as you will become very dizzy! You should do this daily and this will prevent wax buildup. Return to health tips |
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Chelsea Internal Medicine