The baby's ears must be kept clean, just like all other parts of the body. Normally, sulfur is released from the ear little by little. It serves as a kind of protection of the hearing organ from pollution and the ingress of various harmful microorganisms into it. Of course, you need to remove it regularly with the obligatory observance of all precautionary rules.
Should parents be worried if suddenly a lot of sulfur appears in the child's ears, its color and consistency have changed? When are such changes a reason to visit a pediatric otolaryngologist? Let's figure it out.
Reasons for education
Surely all parents know about the most important rule of hygiene of children's ears. It consists in the fact that it is strictly forbidden to penetrate into the depth of the ear canal with the help of foreign objects. So easily you can damage the drum membrane and even infect... Parents who are especially zealous for cleanliness and hygiene are trying to thoroughly clean sulfur from the very depths of the canal, not realizing that this causes an activation of its production. In other words, they achieve the exact opposite result.
After all, when the ear canal loses its natural lubrication and thus loses its protective barrier against infection, sulfur production in it rises sharply to compensate for the loss.
In addition, if you find a lot of sulfur in the ears of a child, the reasons for this phenomenon may be as follows:
- The amount of wax in the ear can increase if the child is walking outside. Microscopic dust particles settle in the ear canal cavity, as a result of which a natural self-cleaning process starts in the ear.
- If water gets into the child's ears. In this case, the sulfur located there swells, acquires a liquid consistency and spontaneously flows out of the ear canal. Visually it may seem that there is too much of it, but this is also a completely normal natural process.
Norm or pathology
Normal earwax in a child resembles honey in color and consistency. At the same time, these criteria are purely individual and may be due to a genetic predisposition. As for the altered consistency, the sulfuric substance is dry and liquid. Too dry indicates that there are few lipids in the secret secreted by the sulfur glands, and too liquid indicates an increased content of sebum in it.
The consistency of earwax can change under the influence of any external factors. If it has changed without additional symptoms, you do not need to worry - the child's ears are in order.
If you see changes in the amount of sulfur released, as well as in its consistency and color, combined with an unpleasant odor, this should give rise to the idea of a possible development of ear disease.
- If usually there was very little sulfur in the child's ears and suddenly its amount increased several times, this alarming sign may indicate intoxication that the baby's body is exposed to. By increasing the production of sulfuric substance, it removes harmful substances to the outside in order to avoid poisoning by them.
Dry sulfur in the ears of a child is a common symptom of all sorts of dermatological diseases that affect the skin of the ear canal. It can be a sign of neurodermatitis, psoriasis and allergies.- If a child is leaking sulfur from the ear, first of all, the development of an inflammatory process in him is suspected - most often this is typical otitis media. In this case, it is necessary to immediately visit an otolaryngologist with the baby. It is very important to start correctly prescribed treatment in a timely manner in order to prevent a rise in temperature.
- Sometimes dark wax may appear in the ears of a child. Parents, noticing this, should closely observe the baby for a while. As a rule, the darkening of sulfur (even to blackness) is a one-time phenomenon caused by the banal ingress of dirt into a child's ear. The latter needs to disappear somewhere, and the body, thus, rejects it. But if dark sulfur is released from the ear for 2-3 days in a row, the child should be taken to an otolaryngologist in order to exclude or confirm the presence of purulent inflammation.
Dry sulfur in the ears of a child is a common symptom of all sorts of dermatological diseases that affect the skin of the ear canal. It can be a sign of neurodermatitis, psoriasis and allergies.How to clean your child's ears from wax
Parents need to know how to properly clean the sulfur in the ears of a baby in order to safely perform this simple hygienic procedure at home. If the amount of released sulfur is normal, if its color has not changed, this is done easily.
First of all, to carry out such an important procedure for the cleanliness of the baby's ears, you will need a tool. To prevent the accumulation of sulfur in the child's ears, the ear canals must be cleaned with wicks twisted from cotton wool. Before proceeding with cleansing, they must be soaked:
- hydrogen peroxide solution;
- warm oil solution.
Cotton swabs for ear cleaning may only be used after the child reaches 2 years of age. It is best to use those that have a special limiter. They will protect the child from accidental injury.
When the preparatory stage is over, you can proceed directly to the procedure itself. The baby's auricle needs to be pulled slightly down and back at the same time. This is necessary to improve the visibility of the ear canal in need of cleansing. To provide yourself with the maximum view, it should be straightened. Then, with the help of a cotton swab or a twisted wick (depending on the age of the child), one should slowly make forward circular movements. This way you will be able to remove all the accumulated sulfur.
It is strictly forbidden to make sharp maneuvers in the forward and backward direction. So you can push the sulfuric substance into the depths and injure the walls of the ear canal.
If you cannot clean the child's ears properly on your own, or you still pushed sulfur into the aisle, or the baby has a traffic jam, do not try to correct the situation - you can harm even more. In such cases, you must immediately contact a specialist to remove the excess secretion.
Post factum
If the doctor has examined the child and confirmed that his ears are in perfect order, but you are confused by the sulfur that stands out from them solely from the point of view of aesthetics, you can clean them once a week. This frequency is quite enough to maintain adequate hygiene of the hearing organ.
Having received from a specialist a specific and comprehensive answer to the question of why a child has a lot of sulfur in his ears and what needs to be done at the same time, it is possible to prevent the development of serious complications and diseases that can lead to hearing impairment.
The most important thing is not to ignore the problem and take timely action. If the increased production of sulfuric substance leads to the regular formation of traffic jams, of course, the baby should be shown to the otolaryngologist.
