Tue, Mar 05, 2019 page4

• Ear wax can merit treatment: doctor

  PERMANENT DAMAGE: Inserting a cotton swab into an ear can puncture an ear drum, whereas ear wax typically falls out on its own, pediatrician Cheng Yung-lung said

  • By Hua Meng-ching and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  A doctor in Hualien reminded parents whose children have trouble hearing to take them to an otolaryngologist before attempting to clean the child’s ears themselves.

  Mennonite Christian Hospital pediatrician Cheng Yung-lung (鄭永隆) said that he treated a three-year-old boy who did not respond when his mother was speaking to him.

  The mother brought him to the hospital after trying unsuccessfully to clean the boy’s ears on her own, he said, adding that he treated the boy, removing a 2cm-long clump of ear wax from one ear and a 1cm-long clump from the other.

  With one slip, a parent could damage their child’s ear cavities, which are very delicate at such a young age, Cheng said.

  He said he tried three times before successfully removing the wax, after which the boy could hear clearly and responded to his mother.

  Wax buildup can easily affect a child’s hearing, but parents are advised not to try removing the wax on their own, as children’s ear canals are easily scratched and could bleed, Cheng said.

  COTTON SWABS

  Cotton swabs should never be inserted to any depth in the ear canal, he said, adding that if the ear drum is punctured, it would result in permanent hearing damage.

  As children are driven by curiosity, they might be drawn to put other things in their ears, which would require medical attention, he said.

  BATTERIES

  He has removed air gun projectiles from the ears of one child and mercury batteries from the nose of another, he said.

  The batteries were particularly dangerous, as mercury is poisonous and would cause harm if it leaked from the battery into the bloodstream, he said.

  Doctors have a number of methods for removing foreign objects from the ears or nose, including the use of pincers to grab the object, medication to break down ear wax, cleaning solutions to dislodge obstructions, and drops to lubricate the canal and allow obstructions to be easily pulled out, Cheng said.

  HAIR CLIPS

  He has encountered parents who use hair clips to scoop wax out of their children’s ears, Cheng added.

  However, doing so could cause an ear infection, he said, adding that cotton swabs can also be problematic, as they can push wax further into the ear.

  Only a doctor can safely remove wax and other obstructions from ears, he said.

  However, it is usually unnecessary to see a doctor, as ear wax naturally falls out of the ears on its own, he said.

  Ear wax is also helpful to the body, as it can keep insects and other foreign objects out of the ear canal, he said.
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