Sulfur accumulates in the ear canal of a person over time, the excess of which, together with other particles, forms a cork. This is due to the functionality of the sebaceous glands, which contribute to the production of this substance, and in large quantities. Sulfur plays an important role for the human body. Her responsibilities include protecting the eardrum from dust. But if you do not remove these clusters in time, then subsequently this leads to some problems. And for this, it is enough to regularly use cotton buds. About what the ear plug looks like, what can be done to remove it, and we will discuss the topic of this article.
Ear plug
What is a plug in the ear? There are many opinions among the people about this, and for the most part they are erroneous. Many people are confident that clusters in the ear canal are formed due to excess sulfur. But in reality this is not entirely true. Yes, ear discharge is present there, but in addition to them, the ear plug includes dust, dead cells, sebum, and dirt.
Thanks to the sebaceous glands, our eardrum does not suffer from exposure to dust and pathogens. Typically, sulfur leaves the ear canal on its own during meals or while drinking. At the same time, improper hygiene, as well as the effects of a number of external factors, can disrupt the course of this natural process.
What does the ear plug look like - symptoms
A person may for a long time not be aware of the presence of sulfur plug in his ear. And only when it begins to block the ear canal, characteristic signs appear. Moreover, the cork can be localized in one ear or both at once. Based on these symptoms, the doctor can accurately determine the presence of sulfur accumulation in the ears (or one ear).
The resulting cork causes certain inconvenience. At the same time, they appear when the channel is blocked by 70% or more. Until now, the presence of cork does not give itself away. As for the characteristic features, they manifest their activity in the event of an excessive amount of sulfur (a photo of what the ear plug looks like can be seen along the text). These may be the following manifestations:
- The presence of noise in the ear (s).
- Hearing loss.
- Cough.
- Nausea.
- Pain
- Autophony.
- Congestion.
- Dizziness.
Accumulation of sulfur can be easily detected during an external examination, in this regard, the doctor can immediately prescribe the necessary treatment, without involving additional examinations. Do not underestimate the presence of the ear plug, as after a certain amount of time this can lead to serious complications.
This problem requires a responsible approach and proper timely treatment. The constant interaction of sulfur congestion with the tympanic membrane leads to the development of inflammation of the middle ear. In addition, the sulfur plug has the ability to swell on contact with water. For this reason, many people who prefer to relax at sea have problems with ear diseases.
Where does the sulfur plug come from?
Some people don’t even think about what an ear plug in an ear looks like. For them, this problem is irrelevant due to the fact that the auditory canal is independently cleared of excess sulfur. And throughout his life. But with the special structure of the auditory canal, certain difficulties may arise associated with the difficulty in the natural outflow of sulfur accumulations. With an elongated winding channel or hourglass shape, the mass begins to accumulate, mixes with sebum, and eventually a cork forms.
Cleaning the ear canal is a simple matter, but it is much more difficult to prevent the formation of sulfur plug. And since several factors can affect this, it is worth getting to know them better in order to take them into account in the future. And, perhaps, it is worth starting with the most common reason - excessive or improper hygiene. A photo of what the ear plug looks like will be a confirmation of this.
Constant ear cleaning, contrary to the opinion of most people, disrupts the normal functioning of the ear canal. The fact is that special sticks, which use almost everything to maintain hygiene, stimulate the sebaceous glands for enhanced production of sulfur. Sulfur cork also appears in those people who have a genetic predisposition to this problem.
Medical reasons
In medical practice, the following factors are distinguished that contribute to a large number of clusters and, accordingly, the formation of ear plugs:
- Autophony.
- Increased humidity.
- Pressure drop.
- Old age.
- Frequent cases of water getting into the ears.
- An increase in the amount of cholesterol in the circulatory system of the body.
- Too frequent use of headphones or other similar headsets.
- A number of skin diseases.
- The development of inflammation.
Some people who know very well what an ear plug should look like are sure that their ears should be cleaned as often and deeply as possible. In reality, such a decision is not only erroneous, but can also lead to serious consequences. Cotton buds, which can be found in almost any pharmacy, need to be used for cosmetic purposes. Their ends are thin and there is little cotton on them.
In this case, sulfur should be removed only around the aisle to return an aesthetic appearance. But to get inside, all the more deeply, is clearly not worth it, because this leads to a violation of the natural process.
What does an ear plug look like in a child?
Children may also have problems with their ears. A jelly-like infiltrate can cause quite noticeable discomfort, anxiety for both the child and his parents. At the same time, the ear plug in small patients is no different in composition from the sulfur clusters of an adult ear. At the same time, it is more difficult for children to endure discomfort, and therefore it is necessary for a caring mother and a patient father to take appropriate measures as soon as possible.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that the structure of the children's ear is different from the adult. The auditory canal is smoother here, and for this reason it is more easily contaminated. And if you add improper cleaning here?
Therefore, the question of what the ear plug looks like in children is a frequent and entertaining one. Sooner or later, almost every one of us faced such a problem at a very young age. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what is best to do in such a situation. And since the deposition of sulfur in the ears without proper attention to this problem leads to complications (and this applies to both adults and children), it is worthwhile to start treatment in a timely manner.
What are the consequences
As mentioned above, if you ignore the presence of sulfuric plugs in your ears, then there may be complications. What exactly can happen? First of all, we are talking about the deterioration of the patient. But not everyone is in a hurry to contact specialists to solve their ear problems.
Currently, it’s no secret to anyone what an ear plug looks like. The treatment of this disease, unfortunately, puzzles a few and in vain, because not everyone can know about the consequences:
- The development of otitis media.
- The appearance of deafness.
- The development of the inflammatory process in the cartilage of the middle ear.
- Burns.
- Eardrum rupture.
Perhaps this will surprise someone, but cardiac arrest may also occur.
Diagnostics
Diagnosing the condition of the ears for a specialist is not difficult. Such work (diagnosis, treatment and other manipulations with the ears) is performed by an otorhinolaryngologist. It can take him about two minutes to detect the presence of an ear plug using otoscopy. This procedure is carried out using a special device - a funnel. Through it you can clearly see what the ear plug looks like.
If the case is started, then the cork is visible even with the naked eye. At the same time, during the examination of the patient, the specialist questions him, simultaneously collecting all the necessary information regarding the medical history.
Features of ear plug treatment
What then follows after the sulfur plug has been detected? It must be removed and it is worth noting that the doctor should carry out such an “operation”, since any incorrect movement can lead to undesirable complications.
Again, only the doctor decides how the sulfur clot will be extracted, for the same reason. If the plug is soft, then the standard procedure for flushing the problem ear is performed. To do this, use a syringe without a needle. A strong stream of warm water is sent directly to the auditory canal. After this, the cork leaves the ear canal on its own.
A slightly different situation is with a harder ear plug. In this case, it must first be softened. This is done using the drug "A-cerumen" or hydrogen peroxide.
It is important not only to know what the ear plug looks like, the removal technique also deserves attention. In some situations, it can be so hard that it cannot be pierced by standard routes or at least softened. In this case, they resort to the help of a special medical instrument (hook probe, electric suction pump). This technique is successfully applied when the eardrum is damaged. Specialist manually, without the aid of water, scrapes a solid clot from the ear canal. Due to this, the method is called "dry" removal.
Home treatment
Currently, thanks to modern means, anyone is able to remove the sulfur plug, without resorting to the help of a specialist. Rinsing can be performed using a solution or other drops. The tool should be introduced into the auditory canal, and then wait until the sulfur congestion comes out of it.
All that needs to be done is a couple of simple actions, so this method is quite effective in execution. As soon as the solution enters the ear canal, you need to slightly pull the earlobe back so that the liquid reaches the area of accumulation of the sulfuric clot. And after the cluster has left the auditory canal, it should be closed with a cotton swab.
The main thing is not to bring to such a state when it does not matter what the ear plug looks like, and there is a desire to get rid of it sooner.
Ear candles
In addition to the listed methods, you can get rid of sulfuric cork with the help of ear candles. The whole procedure is as follows: a long special hollow candle is placed in the ear canal, wrapped in a napkin, after which it is ignited. And while it burns, traction is created, and the contents of the ear canal are pulled into the cavity of the candle.
If the cork is solid, then hydrogen peroxide (3%) is again used to dissolve it. Before instillation, the product must be warmed up to body temperature. 10-15 drops will be enough. During the contact of the solution with the clot, decomposition into H 2 OO 2 occurs at the molecular level. In this case, oxygen oxidizes the sulfur plug, and a foam is formed, which helps to clean the channel.
After 15 minutes, you can turn on the other side so that the entire contents of the ear canal flow out. The event should be held at least 6 times a day for 4 days.
What the ear plug looks like is now known, but during the performance of the home procedure with hydrogen peroxide, it should be borne in mind that because of this tool, the plug will begin to swell, which can lead to worsening of symptoms. But after the excess sulfur is removed, the symptoms go away completely. In addition, this tool must be used with caution, otherwise you can get a burn. And if a burning sensation occurs during the procedure, you should visit a doctor.
Folk technique
Traditional medicine also has its own means to get rid of sulfuric plugs in the ears.
To do this, you can use the following ingredients for washing the ear canal:
- Butter and milk mixture. A small amount of milk needs to be heated to a temperature of 40-45 ° C, after which add a few drops of hemp oil, stir and drip the ear with the resulting mixture. The procedure is done twice a day, 4 days.
- Bow. Squeeze the juice from the vegetable and inject it into the ear canal 2 drops. You can mix it with vodka at the rate of 4: 1.
- Ash juice. To obtain juice, you need to collect fresh leaves of this tree and squeeze extract from them. In a sore ear, you need to inject it 2 drops twice a day until the cork comes off.
As a rule, after instillation of these healing solutions on the next day, the cork itself leaves the auditory canal.
Preventive actions
In questions of what the ear plug looks like, prevention plays an important role. In order to avoid the formation of a sulfuric clot, simple rules should be followed. First of all, it is necessary to carry out proper hygiene, for which wash your ears twice a week with soap. As for cotton buds, they should clean the outer part of the auditory canal without going deep.
In addition, you should spend as little time as possible in places where the climate is unfavorable (dry air, high humidity). And, most importantly, with suspicious slightest signs, consult a doctor.