If you have flu, your ears might get blocked and you might experience difficulty in hearing. However, sometimes your ears might block with no apparent cause. While many people run to the hospitals in panic, there is no reason to worry. The ear produces a substance called cerumen which is deposited in the ear canal. It’s commonly referred to as wax for it thick and sticky texture. Cerumen varies in colour from grey, dark orange, and brown to yellow, the colour variance can tell a lot about your health.
Cerumen is important to the ear as it protects it from harmful external substances as well as bacteria. However, an excessive deposit of the wax can lead to ear infections and blockage that could make it difficult for you to hear effectively. The most common cerumen removal method is trying to scrap the waxy substance with cotton swabs. There are far much better methods as a cotton swab pushes a significant amount of the wax inwards. Below are some remedies that you can fix in a couple of minutes and use to get rid of the wax. Most of the ingredients can either be found right at home or purchased from a local pharmacy.
Salty Water
This is a great remedy, and the ingredients are waiting in your kitchen cabinet. To create the solution, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a half-filled cup of room temperature water. Stir the solution until it plainly mixes. Then soak a cotton ball into the solvent, lean your head on one side, and drop a few droplets of the solvent to the ear facing upwards. Lean in the opposite direction, with the subject ear facing downwards. The wax will dribble right out of the ear.
Warm water
Warm water is an easy and simple method to make the remedy for ridding yourself of ear wax. Just warm some water, and again lean on one side as you drop a few droplets of the water on the ear facing upwards. The warm water will soften the wax making it easier to remove.
Glycerin
Glycerin can be found in many households, but if you are the exception, you can buy it from most local shops and pharmacies. Use a dropper to get a few drops of glycerin into your ear then tilt your head with the ear facing down. After a few minutes, the wax will have melted and is easy to remove.
Baking soda
This is a readily available additive in most homes, it is also cheap to buy and can be found in almost every local shop. Beyond baking, it’s widely known for its antiseptic qualities. To make an ear wax removal remedy from baking soda, you only need to mix half a teaspoon of it into half a glass of warm water. Make sure the solution has dissolved properly then proceed to place a few drops in your ear. Lean on one side and allow the wax to come out.
Rubbing alcohol and vinegar
Mix together the two solutions in equal parts and drop a few droplets into your ear. The wax will dissolve and easily come out. The vinegar does have one extra role of protecting the ear against infections caused by fungi and bacteria.
Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids also help in reducing the amount of cerumen in your ears. Such foods include eggs, soybeans, walnuts, salmon, and avocados.
These remedies are simplistic and can be made in a few minutes. Kindly note they are not cures for any ear-related infection, and you should visit a specialist should you have any irritation or soreness in the ear. Hope you hear me loud and clear.
Your Ears Can Indicate Your Health: Don’t Ignore These 8 Factors
Have a toothache? Use one of these home remedies to relieve the pain.
Health: How To Care For Your Ears And Protect Your Hearing
Health Complications: Here Is Why You Should Be Careful About Removing Earwax From Your Ears