Ear Wax
First of all, Ear Wax is GOOD - Mother Nature put it there, and it does have a purpose. Ear wax captures dust and via it's slightly acidic pH, helps keep bacterial levels down. However, its a good idea to not let too much wax accumulate. If an ear infection is suspected, the doctor may have to uncomfortably remove it to see the ear drum, making your already uncomfortable child even more uncomfortable! Here are some simple, tried and true ways to deal with it.
1. When you bathe, get lots of water in the ear. This softens the wax. At the end of the bath or shower, let even more water in. This is best done by turning the child's head at right angles to the showerhead. Even with lots of pressure the water will not hurt the ear. It is noisy but this will not hurt. When you have a young child, hold them in your arms and walk in and out of the shower many times and make a game of it. Squeezing a soapy washcloth next to the ear may help to dissolve some wax. By the way - getting water in the ear does not cause the "typical" middle ear infection of childhood.
2. Debrox ear drops. Debrox is glycerin and peroxide. It will soften hard wax and make it easier to dissolve and come out when you get water in the ear as above. Generic is fine and availbale without a prescription. Try putting this in a few minutes before you shower. Turn the ear so it will stay in. Lie down on the couch or bed. With the one ear facing up put a few drops in. You want to fill up the external canal. This may take one to five drops depending on age. The older, the bigger the canal. Your doctor may suggest frequency of use of Debrox from once a week to several times a week for heavy wax producers. Plain old hydrogen peroxide works very well also.
3. NEVER USE Q-TIPS INSIDE THE EAR CANAL. These Q-Tips may get out a bit of wax but most of the time it jams it in further making matters worse. When the canal is jammed full it is much more difficult to clear out.
Folks who rinse the ears well with water at the beginning of a shower and at the end have very little wax to talk about. Remember that the whole reason you are probably reading this is because your child has had to have wax removed in the office in order to see the tympanic membrane to see if they had an ear infection. Rarely does earwax interfere with hearing but it often obstructs the canal so the doctor cannot see the ear drum (tympanic membrane). Since most children do not like to have the wax removed in the office, these suggestions may help the next visit in the office be less stressful for your child, you and the doctor!
Occasionally in the office we may cause minor bleeding with the earwax curette while cleaning the ear. This tiny scratch clots in a few minutes and may sometimes be seen on the outside. As you get wax out you may see old scabs come out too. This is normal and not a problem. Continued pain, crying or continuous bleeding are very rare from cleaning out in the office. Often, the continued crying is from the whole trauma of the affair, so please try to keep your child's ear from getting clogged with frequent wax hygiene.
Dr. Brown
1. When you bathe, get lots of water in the ear. This softens the wax. At the end of the bath or shower, let even more water in. This is best done by turning the child's head at right angles to the showerhead. Even with lots of pressure the water will not hurt the ear. It is noisy but this will not hurt. When you have a young child, hold them in your arms and walk in and out of the shower many times and make a game of it. Squeezing a soapy washcloth next to the ear may help to dissolve some wax. By the way - getting water in the ear does not cause the "typical" middle ear infection of childhood.
2. Debrox ear drops. Debrox is glycerin and peroxide. It will soften hard wax and make it easier to dissolve and come out when you get water in the ear as above. Generic is fine and availbale without a prescription. Try putting this in a few minutes before you shower. Turn the ear so it will stay in. Lie down on the couch or bed. With the one ear facing up put a few drops in. You want to fill up the external canal. This may take one to five drops depending on age. The older, the bigger the canal. Your doctor may suggest frequency of use of Debrox from once a week to several times a week for heavy wax producers. Plain old hydrogen peroxide works very well also.
3. NEVER USE Q-TIPS INSIDE THE EAR CANAL. These Q-Tips may get out a bit of wax but most of the time it jams it in further making matters worse. When the canal is jammed full it is much more difficult to clear out.
Folks who rinse the ears well with water at the beginning of a shower and at the end have very little wax to talk about. Remember that the whole reason you are probably reading this is because your child has had to have wax removed in the office in order to see the tympanic membrane to see if they had an ear infection. Rarely does earwax interfere with hearing but it often obstructs the canal so the doctor cannot see the ear drum (tympanic membrane). Since most children do not like to have the wax removed in the office, these suggestions may help the next visit in the office be less stressful for your child, you and the doctor!
Occasionally in the office we may cause minor bleeding with the earwax curette while cleaning the ear. This tiny scratch clots in a few minutes and may sometimes be seen on the outside. As you get wax out you may see old scabs come out too. This is normal and not a problem. Continued pain, crying or continuous bleeding are very rare from cleaning out in the office. Often, the continued crying is from the whole trauma of the affair, so please try to keep your child's ear from getting clogged with frequent wax hygiene.
Dr. Brown