SIMPLE AND SAFE METHOD FOR THE REMOVAL OF EAR WAX

Fernando R. Kirchner MD. Ex tenured Professor Ear, Nose and Throat and Head and Neck Surgery Retired Clinical Associate Professor of Family practice Midwest University Medical School. USA Fellow of American College of Surgeons. Ex Member NIH Study Group Web site: http://www.ferdsjourney.com

Our first aim for this paper is to review the structure of the human ear canal, describe its functions, and outline a safe and economical method of wax removal that is available to the public.
Anatomically the ear canal is formed by a deep bony tube that ends at the eardrum, and a peripheral cartilaginous portion that is part of the auricle.
The ear canal’s two functions are: first, to keep this passage open to permit air sound waves to reach the ear drum, and second, to clean itself by an automatic cleansing mechanism.
These two functions are very important to humans and other species, because without them, hearing would be significantly impaired, due to the fact that air sounds, and sounds in liquids, such as the fluids of the inner ear, have different acoustic properties. This impairment clearly is experienced when one tries to hear under the water, and it is overcome by the trasducer effect of the tympanic membrane and the small bone located in the middle ear.
Since the ear canal is a closed canal, its self cleansing mechanism is equally contributory to this function. This property is produced by the constant cellular migration from the surface of the ear drum to the outside walls of the ear canal. It suffices to paint a dot of India ink on the surface of the ear drum to demonstrate by repeated observations, the migration of these dots to the periphery of the canal. Additional information on weekly ads of pharmacy stores.
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Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Gary S Flom MD FACS FAAP American Board of Otolaryngology Fellow American College of Surgeons Fellow American Academy of Pediatrics About the author: Dr Flom is a Board Certified Otolaryngologist. He practices in Metro Atlanta and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics. His special interests include chronic sinusitis, tinnitus, vertigo and upper airway allergies.

It is paroxysmal, because the movement that causes symptoms won’t always set off their dizziness. And it may totally go away for several weeks then return.

It is important to keep a written or mental journal of head positions or activities that elicit the vertigo. This will help with safety against falling by avoiding those positions when standing or walking. It will get better over time as the brain learns that the signals it is receiving are not correct.

People struggling with BPPV should avoid activities that may turn out to be dangerous. They should avoid climbing a ladder. And avoid tilting their head back unless they are safely seated. There have been many instances of a person with BPPV falling from a ladder while changing a light bulb. Not only are they a few feet above the ground, but while tilting their head back to look at the bulb, vertigo sets in and they stumble.

Also, getting out of bed can cause a fall. While a person with inner ear floating crystals (the cause of BPPV) sleeps, the head is immobile for several hours. The crystals settle in the inner ear due to gravity. An analogy would be to think of a beach bucket with water and sand in it. Shake the bucket for a few moments, then set it down. The sand will slowly float to the bottom. This is what happens in the inner ear of a person with floating crystals, as the inner ear is fluid filled. Now, when the person awakens and gets out of bed, the head movement sets the crystals in motion and can send a very powerful message to the brain signaling movement which is well beyond the actual amount of lifting their head off of the pillow. If they jump out of bed too fast, they could very likely fall. I counsel people with BPPV to arise slowly and in stages when getting out of a chair or bed. When getting out of bed, they should first raise their head off the pillow and hold that position for a few seconds until vertigo subsides, as many will get their first episode of the day at that point. Then they should bend at the waist and sit up in bed, remain sitting up for a few moments. Finally, swing their legs off the bed and slowly stand up looking forward with their eyes looking in a neutral forward direction. It is also useful, for many, to sleep with their head elevated. View pharmacy products and read reviews on these products on CVS ad and Walmart pharmacy ads.
Try one of those bed pillows that are used for reading in bed, seem to work better than stacking pillows which typically end up sliding around.

Similarly, getting out of a chair should be done in movement stages. The longer a person with BPPV has had their head motionless, the more likely that head movement will bring on vertigo.

Showering can also present challenges, and should be done carefully avoiding head positions that cause vertigo or dizziness. The risk of falling or slipping is very real because of the combination of BPPV and wet slippery footing.

Fortunately, with BPPV, the vertigo eventually subsides, but may take several weeks or even a few months. The symptoms suddenly appear one day, tend to get worse over several days, stabilize for some time, then slowly resolve. As it is going away, every day is a little better than the day prior, so you know you are on the road back to normal balance.

Intended for EAR HYGIENE: cleaning of debris, itch relief, exfoliation, water extraction, and superficial wax around the ear and outer ear canal.

NeilMed Clearcanal – Dr. Mehta’s ear wax removal complete kit

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Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

Arthur Wu, MDArthur Wu, MD Board Certified Otolaryngologist and Fellowship-trained Rhinologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Fellow of the American Rhinologic Society www.beverlyhillssinus.com About the author: As the head of the Beverly Hills Sinus Institute, Dr. Wu has a passion for helping patients with nasal and sinus problems. His advanced training has given him the skills to treat the most difficult of sinus cases, and a large volume of his patients are those that have failed medical treatment or had previous unsuccessful sinus surgery.

Eustachian tube dysfunction is one of the most common complaints an Ear, Nose,& Throat surgeon sees in his or her clinic. Patients with eustachian tube dysfunction may complain of ear pressure, muffled hearing, and ear popping or clicking. The eustachian tube is a tube connecting the ear with the nasal cavity. When you yawn or swallow, the eustachian tube opens and pressure equalizes between the ear and the outside world. Like the nasal cavity, the ear also produces mucus and is normally drained by the eustachian tube. If the eustachian tube does not function normally, mucus may build up in the ear causing hearing loss and muffled hearing. It may also lead to recurrent ear infections. Conditions such as nasal allergy and chronic sinusitis can cause inflammation of the eustachian tube and lead to dysfunction. Medical treatment includes nasal steroid sprays, nasal antihistamine sprays, oral antihistamines, decongestants, and saline rinses. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder can also cause similar symptoms of ear pressure and popping. An Ear, Nose, & Throat physician can help to delineate if a patient’s symptoms is from the eustachian tube or TMJ.

Patients with eustachian tube dysfunction may fail medical therapy and require surgery. Traditional treatment of eustachian tube dysfunction includes placement of a pressure equalization tube (PE tube), which simply creates a semi-permanent hole in the eardrum, allowing pressure to equalize through it directly. Normal PE tubes usually last for about a year and may need to be replaced chronically. Recent advances in technology have led to the development of a technique to help recuperate the normal function of the eustachian tube instead of circumventing it. Balloon eustachian tube dilation involves placing a guide catheter into the eustachian tube orifice. A balloon is then threaded over the guide wire and then gently inflated, dilating the eustachian tube. The dilated eustachian tube is now able to equalize pressure between the ear and the nasal cavity. Though a fairly new technique, studies demonstrate that the benefits of this type of surgery may last much longer than standard PE tubes.

Intended for EAR HYGIENE: cleaning of debris, itch relief, exfoliation, water extraction, and superficial wax around the ear and outer ear canal.

NeilMed Clearcanal – Dr. Mehta’s ear wax removal complete kit

Read reviews of pharmacy products and healthy food for vitamins good for people having hearing problems.

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Hearing Loss and Cognition

Jonathan M. Lee, MD Assistant Professor, Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA About the author: Jonathan M. Lee is Assistant Professor of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, Department: Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery http://www.pennmedicine.org/providers/profile/jonathan-m-lee

Hearing loss is very common, and as people gets older the risk of developing significant hearing loss increases. As many as 30% of people aged 65-74 may have age related hearing loss, and that increases up to 50% for patients older than 75. This difficulty hearing may be obvious, and it may start slowly and progress gradually. Some patients only initially notice trouble hearing in noisy environments with a lot of background noise, such as restaurants and shopping malls.
The diagnosis of age related hearing loss involves a thorough history and physical examination, as well as a audiogram or hearing test. While there is no cure for age related sensorineural hearing loss, the use of a hearing aid can significantly improve a patient’s ability to communicate.

In the past, age related hearing loss has been seen as inevitable and the prevailing attitude has been for many patients to “live with it”. Only 15% of patients who would benefit from a hearing aid actually end up obtaining one. New research from the Health, Aging and Body Composition study, however, has demonstrated that the cognitive abilities of older adults with hearing lost declined 30 to 40 percent faster than in those subjects with normal hearing. Moreover, the level of decline in brain function was directly related to the degree of hearing loss. Patients with hearing loss developed significant impairment in their cognitive abilities approximately 3 years earlier than normal participants. This cognitive decline may also be linked to higher risk of developing depression or dementia. You might find some medical products for instant relief on CVS weekly ads. Current CVS Ad is available on given page.
Given this new information, it is important for patients and physicians to understand that there may be a significant negative impact of untreated hearing loss. More research is necessary to find out if the use of hearing aids can actually make a difference in the rate of cognitive decline in patients with hearing loss.

Intended for EAR HYGIENE: cleaning of debris, itch relief, exfoliation, water extraction, and superficial wax around the ear and outer ear canal.

NeilMed Clearcanal – Dr. Mehta’s ear wax removal complete kit

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What Can Parents Do About Excessive Ear Wax?

Austin S. Rose, MD Board certified, Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery Associate Professor University of North Carolina School of Medicine Website: https://www.temporalogix.com/otoscopeapp.com.html About the author: Dr. Austin Rose has been working in Pediatric ENT for about 12 years since his fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2003. He treats children with all manner of ear related disease and has a special interest in the development of new medical technologies.

Buildup of cerumen, or ear wax, is a common concern among parents. Ear wax is secreted into the external auditory canal where it helps to protect the thin lining of skin there from dryness as well as infection from bacteria and fungi. Wax also contributes to cleaning of the ear canal as it travels outward, carrying particulate matter such as dust and dirt along with it. This process results from migration of the underlying epithelial cells and is aided in part by movement of the jaw.

Excessive or impacted ear wax, however, may cause problems including a feeling of fullness in the ear, pain and even hearing loss as sound waves are blocked. This type of hearing loss is known as a conductive hearing loss. In children, clogged ears are often due to smaller ear canals rather than an excessive production of ear wax.

While excessive ear wax may occasionally need to be treated by an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) doctor, or Otolaryngologist, there are several things parents can try at home to help diagnose and treat the problem. Excessive ear wax can sometimes be seen by looking closely at the ear canal with a flashlight. A better view can be often be achieved with one of the portable otoscopes for parents, or even one of the newer otoscope attachments designed for the iPhone, such as the OtoscopeApp.com device. The app allows for taking pictures and video from the ear canal that can then be shared with a child’s pediatrician or ENT doctor if needed.

A cerumen impaction, or excessive buildup of ear wax, can usually be treated by gentle irrigation with warm water or saline using a small rubber bulb syringe. Dry wax can be softened first if necessary with a few drops of mineral oil or dilute (3%) hydrogen peroxide twice a day for up to five days. Parents should avoid using any sharp objects, such as hairpins, or even cotton swabs in the ear. Cotton swabs don’t get around ear wax very well, and tend to make matters worse by pushing it further inward. When conservative measures at home aren’t working, parents should seek the advice of a physician who may use a small curette and/or gentle suction to remove the wax, sometimes with the use of a microscope.

Once a blockage of ear wax is removed the tympanic membrane, or ear drum, should be easily seen and any symptoms of pain, discomfort or conductive hearing loss relieved. If excessive ear wax becomes a recurrent problem, a preventative medication may be recommended such carbamide peroxide – the active ingredient in the NeilMed^® ClearCanal^® ear wax removal kit. For more products please visit weekly ads reviews and check out the Kroger for healthy food.

Excessive wax within the ear canal.

With impacted wax removed, the ear drum can now be seen.

Examining the ear canal for excessive ear wax with a free app and iPhone adapter (OtoscopeApp.com)

Intended for EAR HYGIENE: cleaning of debris, itch relief, exfoliation, water extraction, and superficial wax around the ear and outer ear canal.

NeilMed Clearcanal – Dr. Mehta’s ear wax removal complete kit

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