At often times, people tend to use their fingers to scratch their ears when it gets itchy. They do the same thing when they experience some difficulty with hearing. And if you are also in the habit of swabbing your ear canals with a Q-Tip or a cotton bud, you are likely creating more problems than solving one. 

Almost everyone is guilty of carrying out these unsafe habits. One best solution to these problems is getting an ear wax removal in Singapore. This service is available for everyone to help keep their ear canals clean and keep bacteria away from their eardrums. If you think you are preventing an earwax buildup with self-cleaning agents, such as cotton swabs, paper clips, ear candles, or anything people put in their ears, then you are wrong. You are just worsening the problem.

To learn more about ear wax buildup and removal in Singapore, here’s a list of everything you need to know.

WHAT IS AN EARWAX BUILDUP?

Before getting an ear wax removal in Singapore, it’s essential to know what it is first. Although most ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors inform their patients with crucial information about their condition, it would still be ideal to know it sooner. Your glands are the primary source of earwax, trapping dust, dirt, fibres, and other small particles, building bacteria and wax buildup. They produce this buildup in the ear canal. With an earwax buildup, the chances of possibly damaging or infecting your eardrum increase over time.

WHY DOES EARWAX ACCUMULATE?

Typically, the wax dries up and falls out of the ear, along with any trapped dust, fibres, or debris. Everyone has ear wax, and every person produces them in their ear canal, but the amount and type differ by some factors, such as its shape, hair colour, odour, and height. An ear wax removal in Singapore for people with smaller or oddly-shaped ear canals can get really tough. It would be difficult for the ear wax to naturally get out of the ear canal, resulting in wax impactions. Hence, earwax buildup.

An ear wax removal in Singapore is crucial for people, as this can get in the way of hearing. Earwax naturally migrates from the ear canal bound toward the ear opening. The process happens due to constant jaw motions, such as eating, chewing, talking, singing, yawning, and other movements that involve the use of the mouth and jaw. Once these specks of dirt reach the ear opening, they dry up, forming as an earwax, turning flaky, and falling out of the ear on their own.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF EARWAX BUILDUP?

Did you know that you may suffer from hearing loss when you do not get ear wax removal in Singapore? If excessive earwax is left unremoved or untreated, it may cause earwax blockage and gradually become worse or more severe over time. Some cases may include hearing loss, ear irritation, or hearing impairment. Earwax buildup might also make it difficult for ENT doctors to see into your ear, which may result in potential problems during diagnosis. So, if you encounter any of the following signs listed below, immediately seek an ENT doctor.

Symptoms of earwax impaction include:

• Persistent pain in the ear, which continues to worsen over time
• A feeling of fullness in the ear
• Decreased level of hearing
• Ringing and constant vibrations in the ear, medically called tinnitus
• Foul odour coming from the ear
• Discharge coming from the ear, specifically in colours dark brown, black, light brown, orange, and yellow
• White, flaky discharge
• A feeling of itchiness in the ear
• Drainage from the ear canal
• Dizziness
• Plugged or fullness sensation
• Cough
• Fever

WHAT CAUSES EARWAX BUILDUP?

Unfortunately, everyone can suffer from ear wax buildup. Be it children, teenagers, young adults, elderly adults, or seniors. It is similar to snoring in children. It doesn’t care about ages. It can target anyone. It can likely occur to people with ear conditions that use hearing aids, ear plugs, earbuds, or any hearing devices. It can also happen to people with many ear hairs and skin conditions, who use cotton swabs and other self-cleaning tools, with developmental disabilities, or with oddly-shaped ear canals. 

Apart from these specifics, the following factors may also be the reason to get ear wax removal in Singapore, as this can also lead to earwax buildup:

• Swimmer’s ear, which is an ear infection that narrows the spaces along the outer ear canal and paves the way for earwax buildup
• Dermatological conditions, such as eczema, can also cause your ear skin to flake and dry, resulting in excessive earwax accumulation
• Autoimmune conditions, such as lupus
• Trauma or ear blockage triggers an overproduction of earwax and results in earwax buildup.
• Osteoma is the condition where a new piece of bone grows on another bone, typically around the skull, which causes disruption to the self-cleaning mechanism of the ear and results in ear blockage
• Unnecessary and unsafe ear cleaning tools, such as cotton swabs, paper clips, ear candles, bobby pins, rolled napkin corners, oils, syringes, or other cleaning agents
• Frequent use of earplugs, earbuds, earphones, or even hearing aids

• Frequent use of earplugs, earbuds, earphones, or even hearing aids

HOW TO GET EARWAX BUILDUP TREATED?

Similar to snoring, a treatment in Singapore for earwax buildup is also available. An ENT doctor would diagnose your ear condition and blockage prior to treating them. They will review your medical history, assess your symptoms, and perform an ear exam with a magnifying tool called an otoscope or through the Banji’s test. 

The procedure involves pulling the outermost part of the visible ear. Your doctor will then evaluate how the sound travels through the congested ear canal. These are some common ways they diagnose earwax buildup and blockage. 

Once they find out the cause of your ear condition, they can use various techniques to remove your earwax. An ENT doctor can scoop the pieces out of your ear with a curette, dissolve the earwax by using ear drops, or flush your canals with a controlled, pressurised flow of warm water or medically called ear irrigation. If none of the three options works, they will likely perform a Microsuction or a gentle suction to remove the wax.

Conclusion

Again, the best way to avoid ear wax accumulation is to provide your ears with utmost care. As much as how you value your health, skin, and other parts of your body, you should also do the same with your ears. Without them, you will have difficulties with hearing. Some tips to remember are to refrain from sticking anything into your ears to clean them. 

If you plan to use Q-tips or cotton swabs, rub them ONLY on the outer surface of your ear. Lastly, get ear wax removal in Singapore at least once or twice a year, depending on the recommendation of your healthcare provider.

To learn more about ear wax, snoring, sleep apnea in Singapore, and other ENT conditions, feel free to talk to Dr Jennica Yong. Call them at (65) 62353886 or send your questions and queries on their website!