In fact, cases of infection and even surgery caused by ear picking have often been seen in hospital outpatient clinics in recent years. Today, let's talk about whether or not you can pick your ears.
Earwax is good for you, not superfluous
Earwax is an oil produced by the ceruminous gland of the external ear canal. It is mainly composed of protein and yellow pigment. It also contains a small amount of water and elements such as potassium and sodium. It is normal for cerumen to evaporate into a dry sheet, possibly a viscous type known as "oily cerumen".
Cerumen affects beauty somewhat, but it is useful to the human body.
One is antibacterial: cerumen is rich in fatty acids, which can build an acid film on the surface of ear canal skin, making the external ear canal in an acidic environment. Cerumen can play a mild antibacterial role and protect the external ear canal from infection.
Cerumen helps the ear canal maintain a certain temperature and humidity, preventing the skin inside the ear canal from being too dry.
The third is to prevent foreign body invasion: the fine hair of the ear canal skin is moistened by the oil in cerumen, which can block the external dust and prevent foreign bodies and small insects from invading the eardrum;
Noise prevention: cerumen buffers incoming sound waves and prevents eardrums from being damaged by loud or violent sounds.
Improper cleaning can cause intracranial infection
It is a normal thing for humans to clean their bodies, but we should remind everyone that unless earwax is not properly treated by medical treatment, don't pick your ears carelessly!
Normally, cerumen in the ear canal moves slowly towards the opening of the ear canal and exits on its own when a person chews or opens his or her mouth.
Cerumen that cannot be discharged is hard or deep. Improper cleaning can push cerumen deeper into the ear canal. This can cause cerumen blockage, discomfort, vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, reflex coughing and permanent damage to the ear canal. Therefore, it is not scientific to regularly pick your ears with an ear scoop, matchsticks, cotton swabs, or even your own little fingers.
Why does ear picking cause infection and what diseases can it cause?
First of all, the earpick tool itself may carry a variety of bacteria, when it scratches the skin, bacteria will take the opportunity to invade and cause pus or earache. Especially people who pick ears in public places are more likely to suffer from diseases such as mycotic otitis extern.
I believe that some people have had such experience, when they found blood on the cotton swabs when they picked their ears, they did not care too much. However, if this situation exists for a long time, it is equivalent to repeated stimulation of the skin of the external ear canal, which will not only cause damage, inflammation, roughness and thickening of the skin of the external ear canal, but also increase cerumen secretion, and even cause diseases such as otitis externa or eczema.
In fact, seemingly white cotton swabs breed many invisible bacteria and fungi, unsterilized ears, when human immunity is low, it may cause infection.
Due to the close distance between the ear and the brain tissue, when suffering from serious external ear canal infection and otitis media, it is a risk to the brain, and some patients have suppurative meningitis, brain abscess and other complications clinically. This is also the reason for the intracranial infection caused by the cotton swab picked by the lady mentioned earlier.
Stubborn secretions should be removed by medical treatment
How do you properly clean cerumen? Specifically, there's no need to clean up cerumen. You can let it go.
Of course, we can also encounter cerumen that can't be excreted on its own. It's deep or hard, for example.
At this time, the best way is to go to the hospital's otolaryngology, head and neck surgery department. The doctor will take out the embolized cerumen professionally.
For cerumen embolism, ear drops of 3% to 5% sodium bicarbonate are generally dropped into the external ear canal 5 to 6 times a day. After 3 to 4 days, the cerumen is washed out by a doctor under the ear endoscope.
In addition, it is recommended that you try to avoid ear water when swimming, bathing, if accidentally into the water, you can tilt the head to the side of the water after the ear to jump a few times to help the water flow out.
Do not rudely close the outer ear canal with the palm of your hand, and then pull outward through pressure, which may lead to tympanic membrane damage. Wearing earplugs while swimming is also a good way to protect your ears.
