In small children, sulfuric discharge forms in the ears. They are needed in order to protect from dirt, which is formed by the external environment. With the normal functioning of the body, bacteria and trace elements from the external environment settle on sulfur. Further, seals are formed, which over time are removed from the ear.
Baby cork
But there are cases when this process is disrupted, and a sulfur plug is formed in the child. This ailment begins to bother the baby. Sulfur cork in a child is a mixture that consists of sulfur, accumulated dust and exfoliated skin.
Due to traffic jams, the baby begins to hear poorly. In order to avoid such problems, it is necessary to clean the upper part of the auricle. If the child’s sulfur plug is constantly formed, then the reason for its occurrence should be understood, since this should not be the case with normal functioning of the body.
Why is a sulfur plug in the ear formed in a child?
ENT has seen photos of such formations more than once. However, mommies are scared of such pictures. But if your baby has such problems with the ears, just panic is by no means impossible. Need to act fast. What should be done? First, it is important to understand the cause of their occurrence. When she becomes known, you can take measures to arrange it and protect the baby from this ailment. Several causes of sulfur plugs are known:
- Constant scrubbing of the auricles leads to the fact that the skin in the ear begins to produce more sulfur than necessary. The norm is to clean your ears once a week. More often, this process is not recommended.
- The use of cotton buds when cleaning the ears does not remove the dirt, but introduces it deeper into the ear, resulting in sulfuric plugs.
- In some children, the ear opening is built with features that cause the appearance of such formations. With such a physiology, nothing needs to be done. But this structure of the ears requires increased parental control for the formation of ear plugs. It should be more often shown to the doctor, and he will give recommendations on how children with such features are washed their ears from sulfur plugs.
- The appearance of excessive amounts of secretions contributes to dry air in the room. If the child spends a lot of time in such a microclimate, then the probability of the formation of sulfur plugs increases. Therefore, it is necessary to humidify the air through special devices.
What to do in a given situation?
If the child has ear plugs, you should understand the reason for their origin and exclude it. If improper care is carried out, it must be changed. With aural physiology with features, it is necessary to consult a doctor about what prophylaxis should be carried out. In rooms with dry air, a humidifier must be installed.
Visually, it is not always possible to see the sulfur plug. Often, only a professional can determine its presence. There are certain symptoms that the child has congestion in the ear canals.
How to determine that a child has traffic jams?
It is important to identify that the baby has problems with the ears. An ordinary person without a medical education will not be able to see the black cork. But besides visual examination, there are other signs of a child having a similar problem. It should be said that it is better to get rid of this ailment faster.
Since the vestibular apparatus is located in the ear, a violation of its work can affect other areas of the baby's activity. Also, traffic jams impair hearing. And this negatively affects the child.
Signs
Let's look at the main symptoms of this ailment:
- The first sign that a baby has ear plugs is hearing problems. A feature of this phenomenon is that the baby himself can not determine in any way that he began to hear poorly. But you can notice from the outside such a violation. Firstly, the child will not respond to the call. Secondly, with the sudden occurrence of a sound, the baby will not pay any attention to it. Re-asking is also possible.
- As a rule, after bathing a child who has a sulfuric plug closes his ears. This is due to the fact that when water gets in, the cork swells and becomes larger in volume. The large size of the cork lays the ear opening.
- When a child has traffic jams, he may feel dizzy.
- Nausea may occur.
- Headaches arise from ear plugs.
- Coughing is also a consequence of congestion of the organ of hearing.
- The kid may say that he has ringing in his ears or there is some kind of noise.
The parent sometimes notices that the child has a jam. It has a yellow or black color.
Getting rid of the problem
Is it possible to remove the sulfur plug from a child yourself? Now we will tell. If the parent has revealed that the baby has such a problem, then you can independently carry out a number of measures to alleviate the condition of the child. The main thing is to observe safety measures and not harm the child with their actions. Therefore, if an adult doubts his abilities, it is better not to intervene and consult a specialist.
Home therapy
If you plan to act on your own, the following recommendations will help you:
- You should not try to remove ear wax plugs in children with sharp objects such as a needle and tweezers. These tools can harm the children's body, namely, damage to the skin or pierce the membrane.
- It is also worth abandoning cotton swabs, as they can accidentally push the cork into the ear opening. And from there to get it will be problematic.
- To extract the cork at home, it is recommended to purchase special drugs at the pharmacy. Then put the child on its side, drip medicine into the ear, leave it for a certain time. Next, you need to put the baby on the other side. The cork should come out with the medicine.
- There is another gentle way to extract. It is necessary to warm the vegetable oil in a water bath and dig in their ears for several days. After a certain time, the cork will move away from the ear. If this method of treatment does not help, then you should consult a doctor. It will help to clean your ears. The child’s sulfur cork can also be removed by means of hydrogen peroxide, by digging it into the ear canal for several days.
- You can remove the cork with a compress. A mixture of mashed garlic and warm camphor oil is made in equal proportions. The gauze ribbon is impregnated with this mixture. Then it is placed in the ear opening for several minutes. Then she is pulled out. The sulfur plug in the child’s ear should go away. You should know that the baby will experience a burning sensation. This cork extraction method applies to traditional medicine. Therefore, it is better to consult a doctor whether or not to use it. It might be better to use more gentle treatments. After the procedure, the ear should be rinsed.
These treatment methods require sterility. Also, when carrying out such procedures, it is worth being extremely careful.
Sulfuric plug in the ear of a child. Medical facility removal
If you can’t get rid of the problem at home, then you should contact a specialist to have him clean the auricle and opening in the clinic. The doctor will take all necessary measures to remove the plug through special equipment, the necessary devices and medications. There are cases when the sulfur formation has a dry structure.
In a similar situation, the child is shown to bury the ear with hydrogen peroxide. It is recommended that the procedure for getting rid of this ailment be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. Do not delay with contacting the clinic if there is a sulfur plug in a child. Treatment should be provided on time, otherwise complications may occur.
What complications from traffic jams in the ears can occur?
Long-term congestion in the ears leads to hearing problems. Pressure sores may form in the aisle. The latter will require long-term treatment. They also cause pain, hearing impairment of the patient. An inflammatory process may begin in the ear. This is due to the fact that in the sulfur there are bacteria and trace elements that got there from the external environment. Chronic rhinitis may occur.
So, if the parents found in the child symptoms that indicate that he has plugs in his ears, then they should be removed as soon as possible. In principle, this procedure is not complicated. But it is better to consult a specialist and remove the cork in the clinic. Do not delay with this procedure.
Black plugs can lead to complications. Therefore, it is better to get rid of this formation as soon as possible. It is also important to identify the cause of the stuffy ear. This is necessary in order to know what to do so that in the future, plugs in the ears no longer form.
Prevention
It is necessary to properly care for your ears so that there are no traffic jams:
- First of all, you should properly wash your ears using a cotton swab. It must be moistened in water and the sink cleaned without penetrating the opening.
- There is a special charge for the ears. It ensures the discharge of sulfur and consists in pulling the ear down the earlobe. Such exercises are recommended daily.
- Cotton buds are best used with a limiter. They are very convenient, as they do not penetrate deep into the ear canal.
- If there is an increased risk of sulfur, it is recommended to use special tools.
- Humidify indoor air.
- It is recommended to use protective ear plugs for work in a dusty room.
- When swimming in a pool or pond, earplugs are also recommended. They will help protect your hearing from water.
- With a tendency to form sulfur caps, you need to visit the otolaryngologist more often.
Adhering to these recommendations, you can avoid the occurrence of sulfur plugs.