Often the cause of deterioration of hearing and discomfort in the ears are the sulfur plugs, which clog the auditory canal and subsequently press on the eardrum, provoking a headache and even coughing. In 70% of cases, the problem of ear plugs is faced by schoolchildren and adolescents, the rest of the patients are adults.
What is a sulfur plug?
The cork consists of sulfuric and sebaceous secretion, secreted by glands, as well as dead skin cells. The color and consistency of the plugs can be different, and according to these criteria they are classified into:
- pasty-like - yellow and very soft consistency;
- Plastelino-like - brown, more viscous;
- dry and hard - come in brown and black colors, resemble stones;
- epidermoid - contain pus and keratinized skin cells, differ very dense consistency.
Causes of ear plugs
The gray plugs clog the auditory canal more often in the following cases:
- hypersecretion of the sulfur glands because of hunger cholesterol levels or excessive cleanliness (the more sulfur is removed, the more intense it will be);
- swelling of the accumulation of sulfur due to ingress of water into the ear;
- curvature of the ear canal (anatomical feature);
- Stably low humidity in the apartment;
- systematic work with dusty substances (cement, sand, flour);
- pushing sulfur deep into the passage when cleaning the ears with cotton buds.
Symptoms of sulfur plug in the ear
While the clot of sulfur adheres to the walls of the ear canal loosely, a person does not experience discomfort and no signs of sulfur plug in his ear do not bother him. As soon as the gap between the clot and the walls of the passage becomes less than 30%, the hearing begins to deteriorate. Also this condition is accompanied by:
- autophony-resonance, in which one's own voice is heard in the diseased ear;
- feeling of stuffiness.
If you do not get rid of the cork in time, it will begin to put pressure on the eardrum, which in turn causes:
- dizziness, headache;
- severe stuffiness of the ear;
- noise in the ear;
- cough.
Treatment of sulfuric cork in the ear
More often, sulfur plugs are removed by washing them with sterile solutions. The liquid is instilled in the ear passage with a syringe without a needle or with a syringe, first pulling the auricle back, and then upwards (downwards - in children).
Washing ears from sulfur plugs involves the use of warm boiled water, saline or hydrogen peroxide (3%). The remaining liquid is carefully removed with a cotton turunda.
Self-washed ears are acceptable if the cork is light and soft. Otherwise, the doctor should be instilled by an otolaryngologist, and sometimes two to five such procedures are required.
For patients with chronic inflammation of the middle ear or perforation (holes) of the tympanic membrane, rinsing with liquids is unacceptable! In this case, the doctor removes the sulfur plugs from the ears with a special tool.
Prophylaxis of ear plugs
To prevent the auditory passage from clogging, the use of cotton buds should be avoided, which:
- irritate the sulfur glands, stimulating the production of excessive secretion;
- push sulfur into the channel, but do not extract it;
- can damage the skin, which is fraught with infection.
Proper hygiene of the ears implies their washing with warm water with your fingers. This is enough to wash excess sulfur with keratinized cells and not to harm the ear.
To avoid the procedure for removing sulfuric cork from the ear, before going to the sea or another body of water, it is worthwhile to contact the otolaryngologist with a request to clear the auditory canal. So sulfur in it does not swell during bathing and does not clog the passage.