William Atkins
Monday, 01 September 2008 22:21
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 2
According to first-time professional health guidelines, which are published in the journal “Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery,” the medical community discourages the routine clearing out of earwax from the ear passages by people. In other words, let the professional do it!
Dr.
Peter Roland, who led the publication of the guidelines and is the head of pediatric otology at Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, states,
“Unfortunately, many people feel the need to manually remove earwax, called cerumen, which serves an important protective function for the ear.” [ScienceDaily.com: “
Hearing Specialist Craft First Professional Guidelines For Earwax”]
Dr. Roland, chairperson of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery and head of the Clinical Center for Auditory, Vestibular and Facial Nerve Disorders at the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Center, adds,
“Cotton swabs and some other home remedies can push cerumen further
into the canal, potentially foiling the natural removal process and
instead cause build-up, known as impaction.” [ScienceDaily.com]
The guidelines are included in the article “
Clinical practice guideline: Cerumen impaction,” which appears in the September 2008 issue of the journal
Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.
Its authors are: Peter S. Roland, Timothy L. Smith, Seth R. Schwartz, Richard M. Rosenfeld, Bopanna Ballachanda, Jerry M. Earll, Jose Fayad, Allen D. Harlor Jr., Barry E. Hirsch, Stacie S. Jones, Helene J. Krouse, Anthony Magit, Carrie Nelson, David R. Stutz, and Stephen Wetmore,
The guidelines, created from medical information provide by family practitioners, internists, pediatricins, nurses, audiologists, and emergency room doctors, also recommend that only medical professions remove earwax, and only with the use of
“wax-dissolving agents, irrigation or ear syringing, or manually remove it with a suction device or other specialty instrument under supervised care to avoid damaging the ear or further impaction.” [ScienceDaily.com]
Further, the guidelines discourage
“using cotton-tipped swabs, and the home use of oral jet irrigators.” [ScienceDaily.com]
The guidelines are endorsed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (
AAO-HNS).
When should you seek out a medical professional regarding earwax? Please read on.
