The appearance of sulfur cork is a fairly common problem. For a long time, such an education does not make itself felt, so many patients seek help at a later stage, complaining of hearing loss. In the absence of adequate treatment, unpleasant and even dangerous complications are possible. So what to do in such cases? How to remove an ear plug at home and is it worth it? What are the reasons for the formation of such an education? What treatment methods does modern medicine offer?
Ear plug - what is it?
The ear plug is a formation that forms inside the ear canal from substances secreted by specific glands. This structure consists of fats (including cholesterol), proteins, hyaluronic acid (this substance retains water), enzymes, dead epithelial cells of the auditory canal. The composition contains lysozyme and immunoglobulins - these substances provide protection against infections.
The main causes of ear plugs
Many people are interested in how to remove the ear plug at home. But it is worthwhile to understand that leaching does not always provide recovery. Sometimes, if the cause is not eliminated, plugs may form again.
- The most common cause is improper ear hygiene. For example, you can push the formed sulfur even deeper into the ear canal or injure soft tissues with a hard, improvised object.
- A frequent culprit in the formation of sulfur clusters is inflammation (common in children). Otitis and other diseases alter the acidity of the medium and increase the viscosity of secretions.
- The formation of plugs may also be associated with genetically determined characteristics. For example, in some patients, much more sulfur is released, and sometimes it has a denser consistency. Risk factors include structural features of the auditory meatus (in some people it may be more convoluted), the presence of a large number of hairs that prevent discharge from discharge.
- Frequent water in the ear canal. This problem is often faced by swimmers and divers. Moisture, getting inside the ear, causes swelling of the ear plug. Such situations are dangerous, because between the sulfur formation and the eardrum, moisture accumulates, which creates ideal conditions for the rapid multiplication of pathogenic bacteria.
- The formation of traffic jams also contributes to a long stay in conditions of atmospheric pressure drops.
- Risk factors include age, because in old age the ear secret becomes more viscous, hair growth in the ear canal is activated, but patients often have problems with hygiene.
- Work associated with staying in a dusty industry can also provoke the formation of a cork, because sulfur is a viscous substance to which dust particles easily adhere.
- Risk factors include an increase in blood cholesterol, since such a pathology increases the amount of sulfur released and activates the growth of hair in the ears.
- Some skin diseases, including dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema, can affect the skin on the outer ear and ear canal, making it harder to remove sulfur.
Varieties of sulfuric plugs
Similar formations can have a different structure, texture and color:
- pasty corks have a soft texture and yellow color;
- plasticine-like are characterized by a denser texture and a dark, brownish color;
- hard ear formations practically do not contain water (their color can be dark brown, sometimes even black);
- epidermal plugs, which consist of sulfur and particles of the epidermis and have a characteristic gray color, are distinguished as a separate group.
The doctor makes a decision on how to get the ear plug, based on information about its consistency and composition. In this case, the features of the clinical picture and diagnostic data are extremely important.
Ear plug: symptoms in adults and children
Of course, many people are interested in the features of the clinical picture. So how does the ear plug appear? Symptoms in adults (as well as in children) do not appear immediately, because sulfur formation grows gradually. As a rule, violations appear if the cork completely plugs the ear canal. Sometimes symptoms are associated with water entering the ear, because sulfur deposits swell from moisture.
First of all, there is a significant decrease in hearing, sometimes up to its complete loss. Many patients complain of intermittent noise in the ear, a constant feeling of congestion. Sometimes a person begins to listen to the echo of his own voice while talking. There may be a sensation of a foreign body in the ear - young children often try to pull something out.
In the event that the cork presses on the eardrum, other violations appear. Symptoms include frequent yawning, dizziness, and migraine. Some patients complain of nausea that occurs during a trip in transport. The formation of an ear plug can cause a disturbance on the part of the cardiovascular system. The list of symptoms can be replenished with coughing fits and impaired coordination. This happens due to pressure on the nerve endings.
Diagnostic measures
If you find signs of an ear plug, you need to contact the otolaryngologist. Confirming the presence of education is quite simple - it will be enough standard otoscopy. The doctor examines the ear using a special metal funnel and a light device. If there is a need to inspect the auditory meatus without removing the sulfuric plug, a button probe is used.
Additional studies are carried out only if you need to find out the cause of the formation of traffic jams.
Earwax washing
How to clean ears from sulfur plugs? Your doctor will tell you about this. In most cases, patients are recommended to “wash out” sulfur deposits. The procedure does not take too much time, it is painless, but still not too pleasant.
The patient sits on a chair, turning his affected ear to the doctor. The patient’s shoulder is covered with a protective film, after which a special tray is placed on it. For washing, a warm, sterile solution is used. The procedure is carried out using a large syringe without a needle. Introducing the tip of the syringe, the doctor gently injects the solution along the upper wall of the ear canal - sulfur comes out with the medicine for washing.
Drops for the ears and their features
In some cases, it is not possible to wash the formation from the ear - first you need to soften the sulfur deposits. In such cases, special drops from sulfur plugs are used.
- Remo-Vax is considered quite effective, which is available in the form of a solution. Allantoin is present in its composition, which contributes to the dilution and leaching of sulfur from the ear canal. By the way, the drug is also widely used to prevent the formation of traffic jams in the ears.
- Another good medicine are drops of A-Tserumen. This drug actively dissolves sulfur accumulations, while maintaining the volume of the ear plug, preventing its swelling and increase.
- For washing and softening sulfur formations, Klin-Irs drops, which contain olive oil, are used.
- Peroxide is widely used. The solution helps to get rid of ear plugs, but only if the sulfur formation is small and the patient does not suffer from dermatitis and other skin diseases.
You can not use such drugs on your own. Softening the ear plugs is a serious procedure and only a doctor can choose the right medicine.
Dry plug removal
In all cases, the cork may not be washed out. For example, with perforated otitis media, the use of drops and solutions is contraindicated, because the liquid through the damaged eardrum can enter other parts of the auditory analyzer, which is fraught with dangerous consequences up to complete deafness. In such a situation, the doctor can carefully remove the sulfur formation using a special probe.
Sulfur plugs in the ears: how to remove it yourself?
It is not always possible to immediately consult a doctor. What to do if you have sulfuric plugs in your ears? How to remove such clusters on your own? To begin with, it is worth saying that it is not always worth trying to do something at home. A similar procedure is possible only if there is no fever and pain in the ear and we are talking about an adult.
A few days before the procedure, it is worth starting to soften the cork using a solution of hydrogen peroxide or special drops. To wash your ear, you need a Janet syringe (you can use a regular 20 ml syringe). You can use boiled water, but it is better to purchase a sterile saline or furatsilin solution in a pharmacy.
The auricle needs to be pulled up and back - so you can straighten the ear canal. A stream of fluid must be directed to the upper wall of the ear canal. Carefully ensure that the flow is not too strong. Remember that the procedure should not be accompanied by pain, if unpleasant sensations nevertheless appeared, then you need to stop immediately. It will not be possible to achieve the effect at one time, but after several approaches it is quite possible to wash the cork.
If such manipulations did not bring results, then it is better to consult a doctor.
Possible complications
In most cases, the problem is treatable. But if you are interested in the question of how to remove the ear plug at home, you should understand that improper washing is fraught with dangerous consequences. Inadequately performed manipulation can lead to damage to the integrity of the ear canal or perforation of the eardrum. Other complications include deafness and inflammation. Due to reflex effects, the development of tachycardia and other heart rhythm disturbances up to a complete cardiac arrest is possible.
Complications are possible even after proper removal of the sulfur plug. For example, some patients develop chronic otitis media of the external auditory canal, stenosis of the external canal, and inflammatory processes in other parts of the auditory analyzer. Some people complain of pain, itching and burning, which often spread to the head, neck and shoulders.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the reflex effects in which there is a disruption in the operation of distant organ systems. Their list includes chronic migraines, constipation, abdominal pain, heartburn, arrhythmias. According to statistics, such complications are rarely recorded. Nevertheless, if any deterioration occurs, you should consult a specialist.
Effective preventive measures
Sometimes it’s much easier to prevent the development of an ailment than later to be interested in the question of how to remove the ear plug at home. The best prevention is considered proper hygiene. Ear cartilage can be washed daily with warm water, then gently soaking the outer opening of the ear canal with a cotton swab. But brushing your ears more thoroughly is recommended no more than 1-2 times a week. To this end, experts recommend using special cotton buds with a limiter, moving them not up and down, but in a circle.
Dusty workers are advised to protect their ears. If you belong to a risk group (you are in conditions of high humidity, work among dust, often have to talk on the phone and use headphones), then periodically you need to use A-Tserumen ear drops for prevention.