Remove Earwax - Tips and effective home remedies

Get rid of earwax with simple means

Earwax (cerumen) is important and its amount usually regulates all by itself. However, if it forms too much or if the self-cleaning is disturbed for some reason, the earwax can be removed. This is especially useful if the hearing suffers. Not always a doctor must be consulted, home remedies can serve well here.

contents

• Get rid of earwax with simple means
• Why do we need earwax??
• Too much or too hard earwax
• Simple home remedies
• Warmed up oil
• Steam bath for the ear
• The warm plastic bottle
• Only with warm water
• Special ear drops / ear sprays
• Easy removal after showering
• Ear candles - only little success
• That's what the doctor does
• Summary

Why do we need earwax??

In order for the external auditory canal to clean itself, a secretion is produced by the earwax glands, or glandulae ceruminosae. Earwax, known in the jargon as cerumen, is a waxy substance that is important for defense in the ear. Earwax is often perceived as disgusting or unsavory, but this contains substances that repel bacteria and fungi, thus protecting us from unpleasant intrusions.

To clean the ears or to remove excess earwax, proper rinsing often already suffices. However, cold water should not be used. (Image: Jenny Sturm / fotolia.com)

The cerumen also contains dead skin and dust particles and provides suppleness in the ear canal. By ear hairs and chewing movements, the earwax is transported by itself from the ear canal and can be removed there with a soft, damp cloth. A special cleaning is not necessary. On the contrary - there should always be enough cerumen in our ear canal.

Too much or too hard earwax

Everyone has their own amount of earwax. If too much is formed or if it becomes a real plug, the hearing ability may suffer. There is also a distinction between moist and dry earwax. The moisture is brownish, the dry rather yellow.

In earliness, the earwax glands shrink and the secretion dries, making it easier to form a graft. In addition, the self-cleaning mechanism in the external ear canal no longer works as it did when it was young. Those affected report that they no longer hear so well. This means that the earwax plug must be removed.

Such a stuffy ear can also show after swimming or showering. Earwax swells with water and clogs the ear. The victims report sudden hearing loss, pressure in the ear and possible ear noises.

Likewise, improper cleaning of the ears, for example, with hair clips, cotton swabs, keys or even knitting needles, which is also very dangerous, the ear wax pushed deeper into the ear, so that it is stuck and closes the ear canal. Here, too, there is a hearing loss and a feeling of pressure in the ear.

Furthermore, the wearing of so-called "in ear" headphones, frequent use of ear plugs or wearing a hearing aid can lead to accumulation of earwax, hardening and thus misplacing the ear canal.

From cleaning with cotton swabs, despite their colloquial designation as ear buds, urgently advised against. (Image: Jürgen Fälchle / fotolia.com)

Simple home remedies

With a very simple earwax plug, without earache and dizziness, this home can be removed with the appropriate home remedies. If an ear infection is present, which is accompanied by symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, pain and / or foul-smelling discharge, consult a doctor and be sure to refrain from self-administered ear irrigation.

All methods described below are best done in pairs. All necessary utensils are ready before flushing is started. The exposure time is very important. The longer this is, the sooner the earwax dissolves and can then be easily removed.

The water should always be pleasantly warm and the pressure with which the ear is flushed very gently. This is very important to do no harm to the ear.

Warmed up oil

In order to remove earwax with a little oil, it is essential to warm it up first. Cold oil could cause dizziness, as the organ of equilibrium in the ear reacts very sensitively to temperature fluctuations. The best temperature is that of your own body. Almond oil and walnut oil are suitable. The oils mentioned should be cold pressed and of high quality.

To remove the earwax, a few drops of the warmed oil are dripped into the affected ear - preferably with a pipette. The longer the oil can act, the better the effect. Thereafter, the ear is flushed out with body-warm water, which was previously filled in a suitable ball syringe. The effect of the oil can be supported with the addition of essential chamomile or tea tree oil. One drop is added to the warmed oil per ear.

Steam bath for the ear

When steam bath everyone thinks of a sauna or bathhouse. But even here, with a Ohrenschmalzpfropf, a self-prepared steam room can help. This home remedy is a very pleasant way to remove earwax.

A bowl is filled with at least two liters of boiling water. Once the temperature is no longer too high, the ear is held over the bowl and the head covered with a cloth. This is a somewhat uncomfortable position, but the steam is very helpful in releasing tight secretions. Chamomile flowers (one tablespoonful) can be added to the water. After about eight to ten minutes of staying over the steam bath, the ear can be rinsed with the already mentioned ball syringe, which is filled with a little warm water.

The warm plastic bottle

The warm plastic bottle is the easiest way to remove earwax. The plastic bottle is carefully filled, preferably with the help of a funnel, with hot water, wrapped with a cotton cloth and then held directly to the ear. This is done for at least 15 minutes, then rinsed out with warm water, as already described. If the earwax is not too firm and the constipation is not too massive, this can easily serve home remedies.

With the help of a ball syringe, the earwax can be rinsed out, however, with concomitant complaints, such as earache or fever, a doctor is urgently needed. (Image: euthymia / fotolia.com)

Only with warm water

If earwax is not yet solidified, rinsing with warm water without prior exposure can help. For this purpose, warm water is poured into the designated ball syringe and rinsed several times with it the ear.

Special ear drops / ear sprays

In the pharmacy special ear drops and ear sprays are available, which soften the hardened cerumen, which can then easily be rinsed out. However, the drops are not intended for continuous use, but really only if an excess of earwax must be removed.

When using it is essential to follow the instructions on the leaflet. After the introduction of the drops and a certain exposure time, the ear should be rinsed, otherwise the earwax can not be removed. These ear drops may only be used when the ear is completely healthy.

Special ear sprays are also used to remove earwax. They are to have sea salt - or oil based. The sprays are gentler on the ears than the ear drops. But here too - the ear must be intact.

Easy removal after showering

Normally, after showering, some earwax will naturally come out, which can then be easily removed with a soft cloth.

Ear candles - only little success

Ear candles are something very pleasant. However, their application should not be carried out by laymen. Especially in Naturopaths practices is often resorted to the Hopi candles. These are primarily used for relaxation in headaches, tinnitus and colds. A positive accessory is the removal of earwax.

Ear candles are very special candles. They are about 20 cm long and have a diameter of about 6 mm. They are made of cotton and wax. These are gently inserted into the ear canal and lit. The resulting heat not only flows through the ear, but affects the whole body.

Ear candles show little effect on ear wax removal. They are for other therapeutic purposes. (Image: smoksi / fotolia.com)

Changing pressure conditions in the ear candle treatment promote blood circulation and stimulate the lymphatic flow. People to be treated lie relaxed on the side and the practitioner sits next to it and holds the candle firmly. It also liquefies while a little tight earwax - but the effect is low. An ear candle treatment does well, but this is not intended to remove really tight earwax.

That's what the doctor does

First, the doctor examines exactly the ear canal. It may be due to hearing problems foreign bodies or even tumors. If the earwax plug is the cause of the discomfort, he tries to remove it with the help of a special tick or ear irrigation. Again, the tight earwax is first dissolved by special drops and then removed with water. Sometimes warm water already helps without pretreatment.

Summary

The ears are sensitive organs. Pointy objects, such as paper clips or the like have lost nothing there. Commercially available cotton swabs are now popularly known as ear buds. But these chopsticks have no place in the ear. The external auditory canal can thus be cleaned a bit, but otherwise only soft towels are suitable for regular cleaning. (Sw)