Rinsing ears: what are the methods and how to do it?

Created: 09/13/2022, 10:00 p.m

The ear canal is a very special organ that we depend on.

But what to do if your ears are blocked?

This is the best way to clean them.

There is hardly anything more annoying than not being able to hear properly.

Such a phenomenon often occurs with a cold, when, in addition to the nasal cavities, the ears are also closed.

However, if the cause is not a cold but the ear canal itself is blocked, then earwax is usually the problem that is no longer doing its job properly.

But you need earwax.

Read what you can do if your ear canal is blocked below.

Ears clean themselves

The ear canal is such a well developed system that it usually does not require manual cleaning at all.

Then there's the earwax.

This is produced by skin glands in the ear and is a type of secretion also called "cerumen".

It consists of sebum, sweat gland secretion and tiny dirt particles that it collects in the ear.

The fine hairs in the ear canal then push the lard outwards and thus clean the inner ear of dust and dirt that can accumulate there in everyday life.

In addition, the earwax ensures that the sensitive skin in the ear remains supple and does not dry out.

In addition, earwax contains the enzyme lysozyme, which has a disinfecting effect.

So when the ear is functioning as nature intended, it cleans itself.

Here's what you can do about a nose that just won't stop running.

Don't do this if your ears are blocked

From time to time, however, it happens that the cleaning mechanism of the ears no longer works properly.

Then it may be that the earwax no longer moves outwards, but settles in the ear and dries up, for example.

It can also form a kind of plug in front of the eardrum, which can affect hearing and cause itching or inflammation.

The cause of this can vary.

Some people have an increased production of earwax, while others have a narrow ear canal that can lead to blockages.

There are many ways to wash your ears (symbol image) © IMAGO / Westend61

If you have earwax blockage, there are a few things you absolutely shouldn't do.

First of all, keep your hands off cotton swabs.

The common solution to ear cleaning can do more harm than good.

With cotton swabs, you either push the earwax further into the ear in front of the eardrum or you injure yourself with the swabs.

In addition, cleaning too often causes the sensitive skin in the ear to dry out.

Or cotton fluff gets caught in the ear, which can also become inflamed.

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Other "tools" such as electric ear cleaners, which suck out earwax, for example, are only recommended to a limited extent.

This is usually a complex procedure that takes a long time and in which you have to treat the ears very carefully.

Ear rinsing works best

Ear rinsing, on the other hand, is gentler and quicker.

This can be done, for example, with warm water, chamomile tea or with special sprays for this purpose, which are made of sea water and are available in pharmacies.

These rinses usually come with a so-called enema, a small squirt balloon with which the warm (not hot!) liquid can be injected into the ear in a firm stream.

The process should be repeated several times until the ear feels free again.

However, a seawater rinse in particular should not be used too often, as the salt can dry out the skin.

Anyone who generally swims a lot in the sea or in chlorinated water can use a little oil to make dry ears supple again.

Read here how to get rid of water in your ears.

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In an emergency to the ENT doctor

If you are not sure about rinsing your ears or are unsuccessful, you should make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist.

Even in particularly bad cases, it is better to have a specialist go.

In the ENT, an ear blockage made of earwax is either removed with a rinse or pulled out with a small hook.

If the plug is too tight, a special device is used: a thin metal tube that sucks the earwax out of the ear.