Impacted wax in ear

Wax in the ear! Impacted earwax is one of the most common reasons for patients to visit an ENT specialist in Singapore. Earwax buildup may cause a blocked ear or ear pain. Did you know that having wax in our ears is actually quite normal? For most people, the ear is a self-cleaning device so that the wax naturally migrates out of the ear canal. This means that you don’t have to dig your ears to remove ear wax at all!

IS EAR-DIGGING BAD FOR YOU?

I cannot stress enough how bad digging your ears is for you! Many people just don’t realise the potential trouble that digging your ears can lead to. Using cotton buds to try to dig out the ear wax is a terrible idea because this just pushes the wax even deeper. So digging your ears just makes the wax more difficult and painful to remove, leading to a blocked ear. Some patients complain of itchy ears and can’t resist the urge to dig their ear wax with anything ranging from cotton buds to metal digger tools.  Unfortunately, such digging tools can be bought quite easily in Singapore.

Did you know that some people even think that digging your ears is a “normal” cleaning habit to do  after bathtime? Again, I need to emphasise that this is an unhealthy and unnecessary habit for your poor ears. Digging your ears carries a risk of accidental injury to the skin and eardrum inside. I have seen quite a few patients with a ruptured eardrum, due to extensive digging of their ears. So this results in hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and blocked ear problems.

HOW DID EAR-DIGGING START HISTORICALLY?

The belief that you somehow need to dig your ears to remove the ear wax appears to be culturally influenced. It definitely seems to be much more common in Asian countries. In China, ear-digging is a skill where special practitioners (not doctors!) clean people’s ears outdoors with fine metal wires.  They insert these wires into the ear to carefully whip out the ear wax! Incidentally, barbers also traditionally cleaned their customers’ ears with a hot towel, after the usual haircut and eyebrow trimming. Nowadays, the safest and most effective way to clean your ears is to visit a great ENT specialists in Singapore.

So let’s clear up the misconception that you need to dig your ears. PLEASE DON’T DIG YOUR EARS AT ALL! Throw away all your cotton buds and other miscellaneous ear-digging tools because they are dangerous. Digging may potentially injure the ear canal skin, perforate the eardrum or even dislodge the delicate ear bones which are located behind the eardrum to cause hearing loss.

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR IMPACTED EARWAX?

Despite all the care taken, wax may sometimes still build up inside the ears because the ear canals may be narrow, hairy or tortuous.  In some patients, the condition of the skin just happens to be dry, itchy and flaky, especially if you already suffer from skin problems such as eczema. Wearing earphones for long periods carries a risk of irritating your poor ears further, worsening the itching and swelling of the skin inside.

Dr Annabelle’s Tips on how to keep your ears clean and prevent impacted wax:

1. Don’t dig your ears at all!
2. Don’t insert your fingers into your ears: Fingers (and fingernails) carry germs on them and may spread infection from one ear to the other!
3. Apply 2-3 drops of clean olive oil into your ears after your shower 2-3 times a week: This moisturises your ear canal skin safely.
4. Avoid getting water inside your ears if you are prone to suffering ear infections. Wear swim plugs in your ears.
5. Avoid getting your ears syringed with water: Instead, have your ears safely suctioned out under direct vision with a microscope with some special fine ear instruments at a top ENT specialist’s clinic in Singapore.

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