about earwax

(Amanda) said:

How does ear wax build up? What the appropriate way to
clean? How often?

Your ears are self-cleaning. Do *not* stick q-tips in there.
You can simply take a Kleenex and use the tip of one finger
to clean off any wax that finds its way to the outer portion
of your ear. That's really all you should need to do. "Wax
buildup" is usually caused by stuffing something into the
ear canal repeatedly, e.g., q-tips, earplugs, hearing aids,
etc., which interferes with the usual outward flow of ear
wax and causes it to become "impacted".

TPFKAA <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<2004042907255050073%anon@anoncom>...

Quoted message said:

On 2004-04-29 02:15:52 -0400, [email hidden]

(Amanda) said:

How does ear wax build up? What the appropriate way to
clean? How often?

Your ears are self-cleaning. Do *not* stick q-tips in
there. You can simply take a Kleenex and use the tip of
one finger to clean off any wax that finds its way to the
outer portion of your ear. That's really all you should
need to do. "Wax buildup" is usually caused by stuffing
something into the ear canal repeatedly, e.g., q-tips,
earplugs, hearing aids, etc., which interferes with the
usual outward flow of ear wax and causes it to become
"impacted".

Thanks for the explanation.

I have been using ear plug (to filter noise/sound) when
sleeping for the past 13 years. It started with the A/C unit
being outside my bedroom. I was always sensitive to sound
andlight anyway and wasn't getting enough sleep as far as I
remmebered. Ear plug was a life savor.

In 997, I almost succeeded from getting off using it but it
didn't last long. Current place is close to highway and in
early morning, I would wake up from humming sound if not by
somone driving off the parking lot - my unit is corner unit.
Sometime, someone would drive in real late, waking me up
form deep sleep. Hence I must rely on ear plug.

There was a time, I was using q-tips veveryday ...for about
2-3 years. I stopped and recently I started again. I wil
quit but since I am dependent on ear plug, how would I need
to handle wax build up?

Thanks.

(Amanda) said:

since I am dependent on ear plug, how would I need to
handle wax build up?

You can try an over-the-counter ear wax removal product
such as Debrox ( debrox.comdebrox.comOpen ↗ ) or Cerumenex. If
this doesn't work, I'd see your family doctor to have your
ears cleaned.

TPFKAA <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<2004042917264475249%anon@anoncom>...

Quoted message said:

On 2004-04-29 16:05:05 -0400, [email hidden]

(Amanda) said:

since I am dependent on ear plug, how would I need to
handle wax build up?

You can try an over-the-counter ear wax removal product
such as Debrox ( debrox.comdebrox.comOpen ↗ ) or Cerumenex. If
this doesn't work, I'd see your family doctor to have your
ears cleaned.

Quoted message said:

Thanks. I read Debrox info. It gives instruction on using
it.

I do not have any ear discomfort but I want to prevent any
possible partial loss of hearing?

There was a time - in Fall 2002 and again in December 2002 -
I had ear infection though I had no pain in my ear. I never
had ear infection in my life before as far as I remembered.
So when I got disoriented and was dizzy, I had no idea
what's going on.

The clinic was sending me home telling me to reduce my
dosage on medication (on something else) but I ran into a
friend of mine before getting out of the building and she
told me that it might be ear infection. I went back to the
clinic and she was right. Sudafed took care of it. BTW, when
I was using Q-tips, I was using to wipe off the water and
not so much to get earwax out. Otherwise I feel itchy
sometimes due to water.

Anyway, I assume that I need to be aware of cleaning wax
regularly since I use ear plug. Am I right to think that way
or would my ear do it automatically since I use ear plug
that are breatheable?

If I have to do it regularly, how often would I need to use
a product like Debrox? Or should I use it only when I feel
something is not quite right, like feeling itchy?

How would I know that I have not lready had a tiny bit of
partial hearing loss form wax?

I hope I don't sound paranoid. Just want to be careful.

(Amanda) said:

she told me that it might be ear infection. I went back to
the clinic and she was right. Sudafed took care of it.

That sounds like eustacian tube dysfunction, not an
infection.

Quoted message said:

Anyway, I assume that I need to be aware of cleaning wax
regularly since I use ear plug. Am I right to think that
way or would my ear do it automatically since I use ear
plug that are breatheable?

Anything pushed into the ear canal has the potential to
cause cerumen impaction over time.

Quoted message said:

If I have to do it regularly, how often would I need to
use a product like Debrox?

Probably no more often than every month or two at the most.
It depends on how fast your ear wax builds up. Usually, one
side will tend to build up more than the other. This tends
to be the side that faces downward the most when you sleep
(don't ask me why).

Quoted message said:

How would I know that I have not lready had a tiny bit of
partial hearing loss form wax?

Any hearing loss from wax resolves when the wax is removed;
it's not permanent.

TPFKAA <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<2004043022035016807%anon@anoncom>...

Quoted message said:

On 2004-04-30 21:45:04 -0400, [email hidden]
(Amanda) said:

Thanks for all the info.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If I have to do it regularly, how often would I need to
use a product like Debrox?

Probably no more often than every month or two at the
most. It depends on how fast your ear wax builds up.
Usually, one side will tend to build up more than the
other. This tends to be the side that faces downward the
most when you sleep (don't ask me why).

I was thinking that my left side has more build up than the
other side. I didn't even think "why it would be that way?".
Good to know that it may have to do with facing downward
when sleeping. I do sleep on that side a lot.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How would I know that I have not lready had a tiny bit
of partial hearing loss form wax?

Any hearing loss from wax resolves when the wax is
removed; it's not permanent.

Thanks for the info.