Ear Syringe
Using Ear Syringes
Earwax, or cerumen, is a yellowish waxy substance which secretes in the ear canal of humans and other mammals. The function of earwax is to clean, lubricate and protect from fungi, insects, water and bacteria. When wax secretion exceeds the normal limit, it presses against the eardrum and can also occlude the external auditory canal. This can result in hearing loss. As we chew, the jaw movements help ears’ natural cleaning process. Some people use olive oil or some cerumenolytic agent to soften the earwax so that it eventually comes out by itself. When such methods fail, ear syringe is used to remove the wax by syringing with warm water.
Many doctors use ear syringe to clear the ear canal, removing the densely packed and sticky substance, cerumen or earwax. The wax has to be softened before it can be extracted. There are different formulas available as ear drops to soften the wax but many people have found plain olive oil as an effective wax softener. Put few drops into the blocked ear, several times a day for few days, the wax will be softened and may flow out if not stubborn.
Ear syringe is used for ear irrigation. The softened earwax and any debris will flow out with the water which the doctor syringes into the ear. Ear syringe is specially designed to navigate the curvature of the ear canal. This procedure has to be done by a doctor only, since the flow and temperature of water have to be regulated.