Hesperian Health Guides
Something blocks sound from traveling through the ear
HealthWiki > Helping Children Who Are Deaf > Chapter 15: Why children lose their hearing and what we can do > Something blocks sound from traveling through the ear
Contents
Ear wax plugs
Ear wax forms a protective layer on the delicate skin in the ear, helps keep the ear clean, and makes the skin waterproof. A small amount of wax is normal and should not be touched. Usually, the wax gradually moves out of the ear, but sometimes it builds up, hardens, and becomes stuck. This can happen because of cleaning ears with cotton buds (small sticks with cotton on the ends) or other objects that push the wax deep into the ear canals. This hard plug of ear wax causes hearing loss and can cause an infection. Ear wax can also be a problem for children who use hearing aids, so these children’s ears should be checked regularly and their hearing aids should be cleaned if necessary.
Signs:
- A child seems to hear less well than usual.
- You may see the plug of hard wax in the ear.
- The child may have an earache with pus draining out.
A small amount of wax is normal and should not be touched.
For ear wax
If there is no pain, fever, or discharge from the ear, too much wax or a wax plug can be removed by washing out the ear with warm water.
- First, soften the wax by putting several drops of warm, mild vegetable oil into the ear. Keep the child lying down on her side with her ear up for 15 minutes.
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Next, wash the ear well by pouring several cups of clean, warm (not hot) water into the ear with a spout. If this does not work, use a syringe with no needle (preferably 20 ml size) or a rubber bulb syringe to squirt the warm water into the ear.
WARNING! Do not squirt water in the ear if there is fluid draining from the ear!
- Remove the needle from the syringe and fill the syringe with warm water from a cup.
- Gently pull the ear away from the head. Carefully squirt the water into the ear canal. Do not point the syringe directly down the ear toward the ear drum. Point it sideways toward the back wall of the ear canal. Stop if your child starts to feel dizzy. With a bulb syringe, do not put the tip far or tightly into the ear canal. Try to keep the tip steady in the ear while squeezing the bulb.
Repeat this 3 times a week for 2 weeks and then once again after 1 or 2 weeks. Doing it more often can damage the ear.
Insect in the ear
Signs:
- The child may say he can feel or hear scratching, crawling, or bumping in the ear.
- Fluid or pus may drain from the ear.
- A child may hear less well than usual in the affected ear.
Infection of the ear canal caused by objects or water in the ear canal
Infection in the outer ear can be caused by insects, wax, water, or other material getting into the ear, or if a child scratches inside the ear. This infection is more common in adults than in children.
Signs:
- Wiggling the outer ear causes pain.
- The ear canal itches.
- The ear feels blocked or full.
- The ear canal is swollen.
- There is hearing loss in the affected ear.
Prevention:
Older children can help by checking younger children’s ears regularly for a lot of wax (or pus, or objects). Ask them to tell you right away if they see anything wrong. Teach them never to put anything in the ear to remove objects or wax. This can push the material in farther and injure the ear.
Prevent children from scratching inside their ears, as this can cause infection. After swimming or bathing, teach children to shake their heads gently to clear the water out. If possible, children should not swim or bathe in dirty or polluted water. If a child has had infections before, try putting a few drops of rubbing alcohol or diluted vinegar (see box on next page) into his ears after swimming or bathing.
| For infection of the ear canal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If there is mild pain, itching, and swelling of the ear canal: |  |
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| Make a 2% solution of vinegar by mixing 50 parts water that has been boiled and cooled with 1 part vinegar. Then give 3 to 4 drops in the ear, 3 to 4 times a day for 7 days. | ||||
| If there is moderate pain and the ear canal is partially blocked by swelling: | | |||
| Give 0.3% ciprofloxacin antibiotic drops, 3 drops in the affected ear, 2 times a day for 7 days. | ||||
| If there is severe pain and swelling in the ear canal, fever, or swelling around the ear: |  |
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| Note: The child can bathe but should not put his ears under water or swim for 2 weeks after the infection is gone. | ||||