What is an ear blockage?
What causes an ear blockage?
What are the symptoms of an ear blockage?
How do doctors treat an ear blockage?
If you have hearing loss, doctors may test your hearing both before and after taking out the blockage to see if your hearing has improved.
Taking out earwax
Doctors will:
If you have a narrow ear canal, sticky or thick earwax, or a long-term skin problem in your ear canal, you may need to see a doctor for regular earwax cleaning to prevent more ear blockages.
Don't try to remove earwax at home with cotton swabs, bobby pins, pencils, or ear candles—this will push the earwax deeper in your ear canal and may injure your eardrum or cause an infection.
Taking out objects from the ear
It’s best to have a doctor remove objects from the ear. Some objects are hard to remove and should be taken out by an ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT).
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Doctors remove the object using a microscope and special tools, such as a small hook or forceps
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If you have an insect in your ear, doctors will put mineral oil or lidocaine in your ear canal to kill the insect, then remove it
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Doctors may give children medicine to make them sleepy, so they'll keep still while doctors take out the object—this lowers the chance of harm to the ear
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
lidocaine |
XYLOCAINE |
