Ear Wax Basics
Ear wax is produced by your ear to keep junk out and away from your ear drum – like a slimey booby-trap.
Allergens and other things that go in your ears (like water, especially dirty water, like lake water) causes the production of ear wax to increase to the point it can become a problem.
When you swim under water, the deeper you go, the harder the pressure of that water pushing down on you gets, including the pressure of the water pushing in your ear. This pressure can smoosh wax up against your eardrum.
A quick tip to get water out of your ear – use a capful of rubbing alcohol. Alcohol evaporates quickly at room temperature, so when it mixes with the tiny amount of water in your ear, it helps that water evaporate faster.
Three Steps Ear Wax Removal (or maybe four)
1. Debrox (Carbamide Peroxide) – This is an OTC drop that helps dissolve ear wax if you have ear wax buildup. It can also soften an impaction (glob of wax smooshed against ear drum).
2. Take a hot shower. Ear wax – just like other waxes – when it gets warm, it will soften.
3. Irrigation with an ear bulb
1. Fill sink up with comfortably warm water.
2. Fill bulb with water.
3. Point affected ear down towards sink.
4. Put tip of bulb in your ear.
5. Squeeze water into ear and let water and wax drain back out.
4. Use a capful of alcohol to dry water droplets left over (optional)
NO EAR CANDLES!!
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