Earwax is something that you need in order for your ears to be healthy and having some earwax in the ears is actually a very good sign. But if you are concerned about how much earwax you are producing, then it’s possible that it is a little too much and that it might need looking into. It can be hard to know whether you are producing too much earwax or just the right amount, although one reliable indicator could be that you are not comfortable with how much you are producing.
In this post, we are going to guide you through the whole issue of earwax, looking specifically at the problems with having too much of it and what you can do if you think you might be in this position yourself.
The Self-Cleaning Ear
As we have said, earwax itself is not actually a problem, it is just the natural product of your ears. Actually, it is what your ears produce in the process of keeping themselves clean. Believe it or not, your ears are self-cleaning: they do not need any help with this, as it’s something that they just do themselves without any trouble at all. The earwax is there to protect your ears from small particles of dirt, which could cause infection and other problems if they do get into the ear canal.
As part of this self-cleaning process, you will therefore produce earwax. This wax should then fall out of the ear naturally, as you chew and talk and generally move your jaw. If this is not happening, however, then it’s something that you might want to look into fixing, as it can cause you some difficulty if you leave it to get worse.
An Excess of Earwax
How do you know you have too much earwax? First, you will probably feel it. A normal amount of earwax should not feel like it is causing you any trouble, whereas if you have too much, your ears might feel full or you might feel that you are unable to hear properly.
And that of course brings us on to the main point regarding the problems with too much earwax: if you do indeed have an excess of earwax, you are going to find that hearing is impaired somewhat, making conversations difficult and generally affecting your experience of your day-to-day life.
If you do have an excess of earwax, however, the good news is that there are solutions which you can approach in order to fix the problem. You should certainly not feel as though there is nothing that can be done; there is plenty that can be done, and it might be easier and simpler than you think to fix this particular problem.
Solutions to Excess Earwax
If you do have too much earwax and you want to know what to do about it, the good news is that it’s a pretty easy thing to fix. As we will see, visiting your audiologist is always a good move, as they will be able to examine your ear and provide you with personalized solutions. In the meantime, you can also try the following.
Softening
One way is to simply try and soften the earwax. You can do this by using ear drops, for instance, or using a little olive oil dabbed on a piece of kitchen towel. However, you should not put anything down the ear canal itself, as you could cause lasting damage this way. Instead, simply clean around the ear hole and wipe away any excess wax. The oil should help the wax to break up.
Irrigation
Alternatively, you can consider trying out irrigation, which is where you essentially flush the system out. If you are going to do this, it’s best to get an audiologists help to do it, or to use a proper kit for it, rather than merely trying to do it yourself with water – again, you could cause yourself harm if you are not careful and don’t know what you’re doing. However, done right, irrigation can actually work well, so it’s something to consider.
Methods to Avoid
There are also some methods you should certainly avoid. For instance: ear candling, which is not effective and can cause you damage and similarly you should not insert cotton swabs in your ears at all, ever.
To find out more or to seek some help with your ears, get in touch with Hear Here Audiology at 727-289-1212 today. They will be happy to take your call.
