All You Didn't Know You Wanted to Know
About Ear Wax… AKA Cerumen
A child was brought to me with drainage coming out of his ear, thick dark brown. The teacher stated the child was bleeding from his ear. What she saw was nothing more than softened ear wax that was pooling just outside of the opening of the ear canal.
I called the mom to find out why there might be ear wax that was liquid enough to pool just outside. She stated she had instilled some baby oil to loosen a dark brown plug of wax she could see but not remove. I washed the child’s ear and sent him back to class.
Another time (different) a child was brought to me, again with something oozing out of the ear. This time around there was a foul odor accompanying the thick yellow brown goo. Another call to a parent was made by yours truly, asking if this child had been complaining of ear pain recently, or did this child have ear tubes.
When the parent confirmed complaints of an earache, I recommended the child be seen by their primary care provider. It turned out the child’s eardrum had a raging infection that caused so much swelling and pressure it ruptured the eardrum. The foul odor was what clued me in that the parental response would likely be an earache. But on occasion we will see drainage from ear tubes.
We all have ear wax! Ear wax, also known as cerumen, is a waxy, yellowish to brown substance that is created in our ear canals. It can be very soft, almost liquid, or very hard. It’s not an illness, nor is it a problem due to hygiene; in fact, it’s a necessity for our health!
What it does:
Cerumen protects the skin of the ear canal
Cerumen cleans and softens the ear canal
Cerumen protects our eardrum and the ear canal from things like dust, insects, bacteria, and water.
Ear wax (cerumen) usually has a natural movement to the outside taking debris with it. Sometimes the natural earwax removal process doesn’t work well, and we end up with a blockage or just a lot of ear wax built up in the ear canal.
Ear wax blockage can cause:
Pain or pressure in ears
Itchiness or irritation of the ear/ear canal
A buzzing sound in the ear
Dizziness or loss of balance
Hearing loss
Cough (persistent)
How to get rid of ear wax:
See your primary care provider (PCP) for treatment options and instructions.
MOST IMPORTANTLY… do NOT use cotton swabs (Q-Tips) or any other sharp object
to remove earwax. This might make the situation worse or even cause severe injury.
My aunt was a nurse, and I remember hearing her tell my mother to never put anything smaller than an elbow in a child’s ear. I thought that was so funny at the time. But it was her way of saying we should not insert anything into the ear canal.
The PCP may irrigate your ears and do an earwax removal, or they may recommend the use of medicated drops to soften the wax so that it can come out on its own. If you must do it yourself there are a few ways to do this:
Use an oil like olive oil or almond oil to soften. Put 3-4 drops in the ear canal 1-2 times a day for 3-7 days… you can do this by putting some of the oil on a cotton ball and squeezing it out into the ear canal or using a medicine dropper.
Do the same thing but use warm water.
There are commercial products you can purchase at the pharmacy which you use in the same way as the oil or water.
If medicated ear drops are recommended, make sure you follow the directions explicitly, as the drops can be irritating to the delicate tissue of the ear canal and ear drum.
When to see your provider!?
Do not do the above remedies if you know that the ear drum is ruptured or there is an ear infection.
If the above remedies do not work and the pain or dizziness or other symptoms continue or worsen, seek evaluation from your provider.
If there is constant leaking of liquid, an odor, or blood coming from the ear… or presence of a fever…see provider!
Swimmer’s Ear
What is swimmer’s ear? This condition is caused by too much moisture left in the ear canal setting up a great environment for bacteria or fungi to set up an infection.
Now that the summer months are upon us be sure your children drain their ear canals after swimming. This can be done by tilting their heads to the side, and tug gently on the ear lobe to break the surface tension of the water in the ear. It will then drain. Then dry the area ear by patting ear with a towel.
Avoid putting anything directly into the canal
The use of earplugs or swimming caps can help keep ears dry
There are preventive ear drops that can be used
Avoid swimming in polluted water
Symptoms of Swimmer’s Ear include
Redness in the ear canal
Itching of the canal
Discomfort, swelling, pain
Muffled or impaired hearing
Foul odor and drainage from the ear canal
Seek medical help even for mild symptoms of swimmer’s ear. Do not wait for advanced symptoms of:
Severe pain radiating to the face, neck and/or side of the head
Redness or swelling of the outer ear
Fever
Swelling of lymph nodes in the neck
A completely blocked ear canal
You your child is experiencing severe pain and a fever, get urgent medical help either through an urgent care facility or go to the emergency room.
Bottom line, take care of your ears and preserve your hearing.
A human, not an AI text generator, wrote this essay.
I am not a doctor, neither do I play one on TV. This is an information only newsletter. For specific medical advice please see your primary care provider.
If you like my work, please consider supporting me by subscribing, clicking on the little heart below, commenting, and/or restacking this essay.
We call q-tips ear buds in South Africa, and I’m 63, and I use them all the time.
I worked in public hospitals in the Cape Town area of South Africa for many years.
Respect for a valuable post, kindly and helpfully shared by some one who knows.
Kindest regards
Carol Power
Johannesburg
South Africa
Interesting! I have to shamefully admit I use q-tips. After I shower or swim, my ears are wet and I need to dry out the canal before putting in my hearing aid. This is good info to know.