Earwax Buildup and Removal

This yellowish-brown substance, medically known as cerumen, is manufactured by the glands in the outer ear canal. Along with the hair that lines the canal, cerumen acts as a protective filter for the ear, blocking dust and other unwanted particles from entering the ear and damaging the sensitive organ. The amount of earwax produced and its consistency varies from person to person.

In most children, earwax works its way out of the ear naturally and painlessly. Problems develop only when large amounts accumulate and harden in the exterior canal. This blockage can prevent the child from hearing well. The condition is more bothersome than harmful and is easily remedied by removing the earwax.

WHEN SHOULD I SUSPECT THAT MY CHILD HAS A BUILDUP OF EARWAX?
If the wax in the ear remains impacted for too long, the outer canal may become irritated, resulting in an earache. In infants and toddlers, tugging at the ear and crankiness or crying often means their ear is bothering them. In the absence of an earache, however, parents may not realize their young child has an accumulation of earwax until it is detected by a physician during a routine checkup or physical examination for another illness.

Older children may complain of stuffy ears, pain or a ringing in the ears. If the blockage has occured gradually, the child may be unaware of diminished hearing. Parents should be attentive to signs of hearing loss, such as increased television volume or frequent requests to repeat what you have said.

IS MEDICAL ATTENTION NECESSARY?
If you suspect that your child has excessive earwax, it is helpful to see a doctor. Although you may be able to see some wax simply by looking into the ear, the hard, blockage-causing wax accumulates farther down the canal. The physician can use an instrument called an otoscope to look into the canal and see if a buildup is causing the child's symptoms. The physician can then flush the ear to remove the wax.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
Earwax can usually be removed safely at home if your doctor recommends it. Have your doctor or nurse demonstrate the use of eardrops and flushing techniques.

Use a clean eyedropper to place a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into the ear to soften the wax. After three or four days of this regimen, the wax should soften enough to be flushed out with water.

A rubber bulb syringe can be purchased at a drugstore for this procedure. Fill the syringe with warm, fresh water—not soapy water. Gently pull the ear up and back and squirt the water into the ear canal. Then tip the head to the side and allow the water and wax to drain out. The wax may come out in small pieces or a solid plug. You may need to repeat the process several times before the ear is clean.

Commercially-prepared removal drops are also available and, depending on the hardness of the trapped wax, may be effective in removing the wax without irrigation.

PREVENTING EAR PROBLEMS

• Never clean the ears with a cotton swab. This only pushes the wax deeper into the ear canal.

• Never insert anything into a child's ear. Even the most harmless-seeming object, such as a twisted piece of paper, can scratch the ear canal or perforate the eardrum.

• If the child has an ear infection, do not try to remove the earwax by any method without consulting your physician first.

• If the child is predisposed to earwax buildup, periodically use hydrogen peroxide drops or flush his ears regularly (about every two months or so) to prevent blockages from developing.

GETTING HELP
Call your doctor if your child:

• Experiences pain when the ear is being flushed out with water. This might indicate an infection or, more rarely, a punctured eardum.

• Continues to complain of discomfort after irrigation or you suspect a hearing loss. If home treatment has proved ineffective, the doctor can remove the wax with a metal probe or suction device.

Excerpt from THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BABY & CHILD CARE, © 1995 DSH Communications, Inc. This material is based on current medical research and, to the best of the editors' knowledge and understanding, is accurate and valid. However the reader should not use information contained in this material to alter a medically prescribed regimen or as a form of self-treatment, without seeking the advice of a licensed physician.