Earwax Cotton buds usually damage the ears

After showering or visiting the swimming pool, it often feels like the ear is blocked. Shaking your head, jumping around or being careful knocking usually does not improve. Therefore, many people use ear tips. But experts strongly advise against that. Instead, an ENT doctor should be consulted, who cleans the ears professionally and thereby relieve the symptoms such as ear pressure.
Water causes earwax to swell
Many people know the feeling when it squeezes in the ear and tweaks and you only hear "as if by cotton". It creates the impression that it is clogged - which is usually the case. Because often the cause lies in earwax (cerumen), which is washed out by contact with water when washing hair or swimming swollen, explains the specialist Jan Löhler of the professional association of ENT doctors in an interview with the "dpa".

Chopsticks can pierce the eardrum in an emergency
Often, in this case, the cotton swab is used directly, but that should be avoided according to the experts. "This pushes the earwax only deeper into the ear," explains Löhler. In addition, there is a risk that the eardrum is injured or even punctured by the rod. It is also possible that the earwax is pushed onto the eardrum. This can have bad consequences, because the cleaning will be more difficult "[...] and under certain circumstances also more painful, because the doctor has to scrape the impurities from the eardrum," Löhler continues. Even sprays or rinsing balls for self-cleaning of the ears are not recommended, because these "have a limited benefit, especially because you can not look yourself in the ear."

Earwax protects the ear canal from contamination
Instead of self-treatment in the home bathroom should therefore always visit an ear, nose and throat doctor in congested ears. This can remove the earwax with a special tick or rinse the ears, the costs are covered by the medical association according to the health insurance companies. Anyone who suffers from congested ears more often has a predisposition to increased earwax formation, and men are more likely to be affected than women, explains Löhler. Likewise, the risk is increased in people who have their ears regularly, e.g. For work reasons, have to close with a noise protection, wearing a hearing aid or sleeping with earplugs. In general, however, ear wax has an important function, because it has a nourishing and antibacterial effect, and "it protects the ear canal from dirt and dust penetrating deeper," says the expert.

Home remedy against tight earwax
If too much earwax is produced, a clogged ear can also be prevented by natural home remedies. For example, high-quality oils such as almond or walnut oil, which can be combined with essential oils (such as chamomile) when needed, may be considered for their soothing and fat-dissolving effects. After an exposure time of several hours, the use of an ear candle can amplify the effect. Even a steam bath with chamomile flowers, over which the affected ear is held for a few minutes, has proven to be an effective remedy against tight earwax. (No)