EAR ETIQUETTE...

 Ear Etiquette or Ear hygiene maintenance is something which everyone should be aware off..

 “ Doctor , how often should I come for wax cleaning ?”

 “ How should I clean wax? “

 “ Can I use ear buds? “

 “ Can you tell me some drops for wax cleaning, which can used for all the members in the family ? “

 “ Why my ear canal is getting blocked frequently with wax?” 

 “ How should I clean my ears? “

“ Should I put any kind of oil in my ears ? “

These are some of common questions which are encountered by almost every ENT Doctor in routine opd. 

Let’s understand our Ear !

Ear can be divided mainly into three parts. External ear; which you see outside going upto the Ear drum. Middle ear ; the part inner to ear drum were the small ear ossicles or bones are present. Inner ear ; further inside middle ear were your cochlea and balancing system called vestibular apparatus is found. From here the sound signals goes to brain. So any damage in any of these parts can affect the functionality of Ear. The treatment to each of the ear disease varies from which part is affected.

How important is your Ear !

In contrast to other sense organs, Ear has two functions. Ear is not only for hearing, it has another important function of maintaining our body balance as well. So that makes Ear a very special sense organ. So you should take all possible efforts to maintain it.

What is wax ?

Wax is made up off sebum, dead skin cells, keratin and some fatty acids. They are mainly for trapping and preventing dust, foreign bodies and germs entering ear. It has a small role in dampening of loud sounds as well.

Normally wax gets removed in a cycle which we are not aware off. Sometimes when there is excess production of wax or when there is disturbance in this cycle or when the ear canal is narrow, there can be wax accumulation. In such a scenario frequent manual removal of wax will be necessary monthly or once in 2-3 months ( varies from person to person) by an ENT doctor.

What all things are to be taken care off :

• Do not insert any foreign objects inside your ear. Stop using your keys, matchsticks, pencil, pen, etc to scratch or clean your ear.

• Do not insert the ear buds too much inside the ear canal for cleaning. Ear buds are primarily for cleaning the crevices in the pinna and for cleaning visible external part of ear canal. For children, it is advisable that parents take an effort in doing this rather than allowing them to use buds. If they insert too much deep in canal, it can cause damage to ear drum, ear canal or can even push the wax further inside. Sometimes the cotton in the end of the bud will get dislodged from the stick and will get stuck in the inner part of ear canal. If it is left unnoticed, it can be a source of infection later on. So the basic dictum is not to go deep beyond what you can see with your eyes. 

• If you have the habit of using ear phones every time, do not use it under very high volume. Long term exposure to loud sound persistently can also be a reason for significant dysfunction of hearing.

• Clean your ear bud tip frequently. Atleast in two or three days. Do spend a second for inspection before putting them on your ear. Particularly the silicon tip ones ( In ear ear phones/ ear buds). Most importantly do not share your ear buds. If you have to, clean the tips before and after use.

• Avoid frequent finger picking in ear. This can make your ear prone to infections and can also lead to damage of ear canal.

• Do not put any ear drops without medical consultation.

• Personally I also wouldn’t recommend using any kind of home made remedy oils for ear pain/discharge/irritation. Instead get an ENT consultation. Know exactly what is the cause of the problem. Then treat it as advised. You spend money on several things. Why not spend a few bucks for your important sense organ? 

• While bathing do clean the crevices of ear, front part and back side of the ear with your hand. Take a minute extra. Pay attention and clean. These are least attended areas. Do not put too much soap water inside ear canal. That can irritate skin lining of canal. Also it can sometimes cause dizziness temporarily.

• Keep ear dry. After bathing, with a clean cloth or towel do mop and dry your ear. Too much moisture can also attract fungal infection. 

• If any foreign objects accidentally enter ear ( stone/ pearl/pencil piece/ insects/ eraser parts/ cotton/ seeds,etc) always get an ENT Consultation. Improper techniques of removal or partial removal can cause significant damages.

( However if any live insect enters the canal, as an immediate aid, you can put any kind of oil of normal temperature in your canal to kill the insect. A live insect in canal is more dangerous than a dead one. Not only that a live insect will cause irritation to you, but importantly during it’s vigorous efforts to escape from the canal, it can even damage the ear drum. After putting some oil you can visit near by ENT Doctor at the earliest.

• Ear piercing is to be done by a specialist only under strict aseptic precautions. Improper & unhygienic techniques can cause infections and painful inflammation of ear cartilage (perichondritis of pinna). Cartilage piercing is generally not recommended as it takes more time to heal and as there is more chance of infection and inflammation. Ear lobe piercing is safe and relatively risk free.

These are some of the common things which all of you should take care off. If there is any other query or suggestions do comment.

Do share if found useful.

Thank you.

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