Iron earwax refers to a hardened, bean-paste-like substance that typically forms after prolonged accumulation. Some individuals have particularly active ceruminous glands, and when earwax cannot be expelled, it gradually dries and solidifies into a dark brown, rock-hard mass that tightly blocks the external auditory canal.
Iron earwax can cause hearing loss. The discharge is often brown and hard, though some may be soft like date paste. Complete blockage leads to ear fullness, tinnitus, and hearing impairment. Symptoms worsen if water enters the canal, frequently causing ear pain. If complicated by external otitis or an external ear abscess, the pain becomes more pronounced.
Therefore, when earwax is too hard to remove, it's best to seek prompt removal to prevent future complications. Attempting removal after an ear canal infection develops will be significantly more difficult.
How to Remove Hard Earwax
When earwax is stubbornly stuck, first visit an ENT specialist to assess the severity of the hardened wax. If mild, removal with specialized tools is possible. For severe cases, apply a softening solution like sesame oil to the ear. Return to the clinic after about a week for a doctor to remove the plug.
Avoid forcefully removing earwax to prevent eardrum damage, which can cause hearing loss, pain, and injury. It's best to seek a doctor's diagnosis at a hospital.
Do not clean earwax carelessly.
Earwax is an oily substance with a sticky consistency. It traps dust particles from the air, preventing them from entering the ear canal. Additionally, earwax has a bitter taste and emits a distinctive odor that repels flying insects from entering the ear. This helps keep the ear canal clean and protects it from foreign objects.
Earwax also provides sound insulation and vibration dampening, offering significant protection to the eardrum.Guarding the entrance to the external auditory canal just in front of the eardrum, earwax processes incoming sound waves. It gradually transmits sound, preventing direct impact on the eardrum and avoiding damage or rupture from intense vibrations. This effectively safeguards human hearing.
Additionally, earwax repels water, keeping the ear canal dry and preventing conditions like ear infections caused by water entering the ear.
In reality, there's no need to worry about excessive earwax causing blockages. As earwax naturally dries and accumulates to a certain extent, it will naturally dislodge and exit the body through activities like walking, talking, shaking the head, chewing, or yawning.
Thus, earwax is highly beneficial to the body. Conversely, frequent ear cleaning can lead to ear disorders, with the greatest risks and harm occurring when cleaning children's ears. Therefore, please refrain from cleaning your child's ears.
If you wish to remove earwax, gently clean it out using a cotton swab rolled from lint-free cotton, or use an ear canal spoon to carefully scoop it out. If the ear canal feels itchy, gently massage the tragus (the cartilage in front of the outer ear canal) with your finger.