In the ear canal of a person, sulfur accumulates over time, the excess of which, together with other particles, forms a plug. This is due to the functionality of the sebaceous glands, which contribute to the production of this substance, and in large quantities. For the human body, sulfur plays an important role. Her job is to protect the eardrum from dust exposure. But if these accumulations are not removed in time, then later this leads to some problems. And for this, it is enough to use cotton swabs regularly. About what the ear plug looks like, what can be done to remove it, and will be discussed in the topic of this article.
Ear plug
What is an ear plug? There are many opinions about this among the people, and for the most part they are erroneous. Many people are sure that accumulations 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,ear plug includes dust, dead cells, sebum, dirt.
It is thanks to the sebaceous glands that our eardrum does not suffer from exposure to dust and pathogens. Usually, sulfur leaves the ear canal on its own during meals or when drinking drinks. At the same time, improper hygiene, as well as exposure to a number of external factors, can disrupt this natural process.
What does an ear plug look like - symptoms
A person may not be aware of the presence of a sulfur plug in his ear for a long time. And only when it begins to block the ear canal, characteristic signs appear. Moreover, the cork can be localized in one ear or in both at once. Based on these symptoms, the doctor can accurately determine the presence of wax accumulation in the ears (or one ear).
The resulting traffic jam causes some inconvenience. At the same time, they appear when the channel is blocked by 70% or more. And until this time, the presence of a cork does not betray itself. As for the characteristic features, they manifest their activity in the case of an excess amount of sulfur (a photo of what an ear plug looks like can be found along the text). These may be the following manifestations:
- Presence of noise in the ear(s).
- Hearing loss.
- Cough.
- Nausea.
- Pain.
- Autophony.
- Congestion.
- Dizziness.
Sulfur accumulation can be easily detected during an external examination, inIn this regard, the doctor can immediately prescribe the necessary treatment without involving additional examinations. Do not underestimate the presence of an ear plug, as after a certain amount of time it can lead to serious complications.
This problem requires a responsible approach and proper timely treatment. The constant interaction of sulfur accumulation with the eardrum leads to the development of inflammation of the middle ear. In addition, sulfur plug has the ability to swell when in contact with water. For this reason, many people who prefer to relax on the sea have problems with ear diseases.
Where does sulfur plug come from?
Some people don't even think about what an ear plug looks like in an ear. For them, this problem is irrelevant due to the fact that the ear canal is independently cleared of excess sulfur. And throughout his life. But with a special structure of the auditory canal, certain difficulties may arise due to the difficulty of the natural outflow of sulfur accumulations. With an elongated tortuous channel or an hourglass shape, the mass begins to accumulate, mixes with sebum, and eventually a plug forms.
Cleaning the ear canal is simple, but it is much more difficult to prevent the formation of wax 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. Photo what it looks likeear plug will confirm this.
Constant cleaning of the ears, contrary to the opinion of most people, disrupts the normal functioning of the ear canal. The fact is that special sticks, which are used by almost everyone to maintain hygiene, stimulate the sebaceous glands to increase the production of sulfur. Also, sulfur plug appears in those people who have a genetic predisposition to this problem.
Medical reasons
In medical practice, the following factors are identified that contribute to a large number of accumulations and, accordingly, the formation of ear plugs:
- Autophony.
- Increased humidity level.
- Pressure drop.
- Old age.
- Frequent cases of water getting into the ears.
- Increase in the amount of cholesterol in the circulatory system of the body.
- Using headphones or similar headset too much.
- Series of skin diseases.
- Development of inflammation.
Some people who are well aware of what earwax looks like are sure that the ears should be cleaned as often and deeply as possible. In fact, such a decision is not only erroneous, but can also lead to serious consequences. Cotton swabs, which can be found in almost any pharmacy, should 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 passage to restore the aesthetic appearance. But to penetrate inside, the more deeply,obviously not worth it, because this leads to a violation of the natural process.
What does a child's ear plug look like?
Children can also have problems with their ears. A jelly-like infiltrate can cause quite noticeable discomfort, anxiety to both the child and his parents. At the same time, the ear plug in young patients is no different in composition from the sulfur accumulations of the adult ear. At the same time, discomfort is more difficult for children to bear, and therefore, a caring mother and a patient father need to take appropriate measures as soon as possible.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that the structure of a child's ear differs from that of an adult. The auditory canal is smoother here, and for this reason it gets dirty more easily. And if we add the wrong cleaning here?
Therefore, the question of what an ear plug looks like in children is not uncommon and entertaining. Sooner or later, but 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 wax in the ears without proper attention to this problem leads to complications (and this applies to both adults and children), it is worth starting treatment in a timely manner.
What are the consequences
As mentioned above, if you ignore the presence of cerumen in the ears, there may be complications. What exactly can happen? First of all, we are talking about the deterioration of the patient's condition. But not everyone is in a hurry to turn to specialists to solve their ear problems.
BNowadays, it is 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:
- Development of otitis.
- The appearance of deafness.
- Development of inflammation in the cartilage of the middle ear.
- Burns.
- Rupture of the eardrum.
This may surprise some, but cardiac arrest can 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 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 running, then the cork is visible even to 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 discovered? It is subject to removal and it is worth noting that such an “operation” should be carried out by a doctor, since any wrong movement can lead to unwanted complications.
How exactly the sulfur clot will be removed, again, only the doctor decides for the same reason. If the cork is soft, thena standard procedure for washing the problem ear is carried out. For this, a syringe without a needle is used. A strong jet of warm water is directed directly to the auditory canal. After that, the plug leaves the ear canal on its own.
Slightly different is the case with the harder ear plug. In this case, it must first be softened. This is done with the help of the drug "A-cerumen" or hydrogen peroxide.
Not only is it important to know what an ear plug looks like, the removal technique also deserves attention. In some situations, it can be so hard that it cannot be broken through in standard ways, or even softened. In this case, they resort to the help of a special medical instrument (probe hook, electric suction). This technique is successfully used when the eardrum is damaged. The specialist manually, without the help of water, scrapes off a hard clot from the ear canal. Due to this, the method is called "dry" removal.
Treatment at home
Nowadays, thanks to modern tools, anyone is able to remove the sulfur plug without resorting to the help of a specialist. Washing can be done with a solution or other drops. The agent should be inserted into the auditory canal, and then wait until the sulfur accumulation comes out of it.
All you need to do is a couple of simple steps, so this method is quite effective in execution. As soon as the solution enters the auditory canal, you need to gently pull back the earlobe tothe liquid has reached the area of accumulation of the sulfuric clot. And after the accumulation has left the auditory canal, you should close it with a cotton swab.
The main thing is not to bring it to such a state when it doesn’t matter what the ear plug looks like, and there is a desire to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Ear candles
In addition to the above methods, you can get rid of the wax plug using ear candles. The whole procedure is as follows: a long special hollow candle wrapped in a napkin is placed in the auditory canal, after which it is set on fire. And while it burns, a draft is created, and the contents of the ear canal are drawn into the cavity of the candle.
If the cork is hard, then hydrogen peroxide (3%) is again used to dissolve it. Before instillation, the agent must be warmed to body temperature. 10-15 drops will be enough. During the contact of the solution with the clot, decomposition into H2O O2 at the molecular level occurs. At the same time, oxygen oxidizes the sulfuric plug, while foam is formed, which helps to clean the channel.
After 15 minutes, you can turn on the other side so that all the contents of the ear canal flow out. The event should be held at least 6 times a day for 4 days.
What an ear plug looks like is now known, but when performing a home procedure with hydrogen peroxide, be aware that due to this agent, the plug will begin to swell, which can lead to worsening symptoms. But after the excess sulfur is removed, the symptoms disappear completely. In addition, this tool must be used withbe careful, otherwise you may get burned. And if a burning sensation appears during the procedure, you should visit a doctor.
Folk technique
Traditional medicine also has its own remedies for getting rid of ear wax.
To do this, you can use the following ingredients for washing the ear canal:
- Butter-milk mixture. A small amount of milk should be heated to a temperature of 40-45 ° C, then add a few drops of hemp oil, stir and drip the resulting mixture into the ear. Do the procedure twice a day, 4 days.
- Bow. Squeeze the juice from the vegetable and inject 2 drops into the ear canal. 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 the extract out of them. In a sore ear, you need to inject it 2 drops twice a day until the plug comes off.
As a rule, after instillation of these healing solutions on the next day, the cork itself leaves the auditory canal.
Prevention measures
When it comes to what an ear plug looks like, prevention plays an important role. To avoid the formation of a sulfur clot, you should follow simple rules. First of all, it is necessary to carry out proper hygiene, for which wash your ears twice a week with soap. As for cotton swabs, they should clean the outer part of the auditory canal without going deep.
In addition, you should spend as little time as possible in those places where the unfavorableclimatic conditions (dry air, high humidity). And, most importantly, with the slightest suspicious signs, consult a doctor.
