Contrary to popular belief, ear wax, which is called buşon in medical language, is not dirt, but a natural secretion of the body. The secretion called cerumen is secreted from the glands located under the skin in the external auditory canal. This secretion, which protects the eardrum from bacteria, dust and dirt particles that may come from the external environment, dries spontaneously when it completes its function and is thrown into the auricle. The secretion that is thrown into the ear canal or external auditory canal and known as earwax among the people is called buşon. The cleaning process that most people do at home with an ear stick or ear cleaning candle is an extremely wrong and dangerous process. During cleaning with such cleaning tools, the cerumen secretion is wiped off unnoticed. Cleaning the ear secretion in this way causes the ear to itch and leaves the eardrum vulnerable to dirt and bacteria that may come from outside. In addition, unconscious cleaning procedures with ear cleaning tools cause the bulb to be pushed into the inner side of the ear and blocked.
Kulak kiri, bilinenin aksine kulakta biriken kir ya da pislik değildir. Dış kulak yolundan salgılanan serumen adlı salgı, halk arasında kulak kiri olarak bilinir. Serumen, kulak yolunun hafif nemli ve kaygan olmasını sağlayan, kulak zarını dışarıdan gelen bakterilere, toz ve benzeri parçacıklara karşı koruyan, vücudun doğal bir savunmasıdır. Bu salgının temizlenmesi kulak zarını enfeksiyonlara karşı savunmasız bırakır. Serumen, zaman içinde kulağın iç kısmına doğru giren partikülleri yakalayarak katılaşır. When the solidified or trapped cerumen, called buşon, completes its task, it is expelled outward by the ear. Being in dusty environments for a long time is one of the factors that lead to an increase in the amount of buşon.
Buşon, which is called earwax, is a body secretion that is normally excreted regularly by the ear into the auricle and has completed its function. Therefore, it is wrong to call it earwax. Cerumen protects the eardrum by being continuously produced. The drying of the cerumen, which continuously filters the air by capturing particles, leads to the formation of semi-solid objects called buds. In other words, the reason for the formation of the buşon is due to the contact of the particles in the air with the ear. The reasons for the accumulation of ear secretion known as earwax in the ear are listed below.
Accumulation of the mucus in the ear or the inability to expel it out of the ear for different reasons may cause the following symptoms.
In the presence of such symptoms, the ear should not be cleaned with foreign objects such as ear cleaning instruments and an otolaryngologist should be consulted immediately.
Ear secretion does not occur in the inner part of the ear. For this reason, it is absolutely not correct to clean the buşon at home with tools such as ear sticks and ear candles. Cleaning procedures with such cleaning tools cause the bulb on the outer part of the ear to be pushed towards the eardrum. Contrary to popular belief, the ear stick should not be used to clean the inner part of the ear; it should be used to clean the folds in the auricle. Inserting cleaning tools such as ear sticks into the ear hole causes the bulb to be pushed towards the eardrum. This increases the risk of infection and makes it difficult for the ear to expel the bulb out of the ear in a natural process. It also causes the ear secretion called cerumen to be removed from the ear, leaving the eardrum vulnerable to foreign particles such as dust. Ear cleaning at home should not go beyond cleaning the folds in the auricle. Ear sticks, cotton wool or soft cloth can be used for cleaning the auricle. However, none of these cleaning materials should be inserted into the ear hole. In case of having one of the above-mentioned ear wax symptoms, an otolaryngologist should be consulted and examined and the ear should be cleaned if necessary. The ENT specialist ensures that the ear is cleaned by choosing the most appropriate cleaning method after the examination. The physician may drip a solution into the ear to soften the plug before cleaning the earwax. Ear washing known as ear lavage, removal of the plug out of the ear with a curette and aspiration procedures known as vacuuming allow the ear to be cleaned without damaging the ear.
The ear secretion cerumen, one of the body's natural defence systems that prevents particles in the air from reaching the eardrum, solidifies over time and leads to the formation of buşon, known as earwax. The buşon in the ear canal dries up over time and is thrown into the auricle. Therefore, the ear constantly protects the eardrum due to its structure. However, people who are exposed to dust and dirt for a long time are more prone to the formation of buşon. In addition, actions such as swimming in the sea and bathing can cause the bulb to lose its hardness, soften and swell. As a result, symptoms such as blockage of the ear, feeling of saturation, decreased hearing intensity may be observed.
Buşon, which is popularly called earwax, should never be cleaned with cleaning tools such as ear sticks and ear candles. In the presence of symptoms such as blockage in the ear, fullness, feeling of congestion, ringing, buzzing, decreased hearing intensity and discharge or odour coming from the ear, an ear, nose and throat physician should be consulted. The physician can clean the buşon that accumulates in the ear and causes discomfort to the person in the following ways
Lavage, also known as washing the ear, is one of the most commonly used ear cleaning procedures. The physician sprays a special solution into the patient's ear to soften all foreign structures and buşon inside the ear. This solution is continuously sprayed into the ear during the procedure in which the ear to be cleaned is positioned facing the floor. The procedure is continued until the solution has a clear appearance. After the procedure, the person can return to his/her daily life immediately.
In this method, also known as vacuuming, the aspirator device used in this method is used to remove the hardened buşon inside the ear. Before the procedure, a special solution is used to soften the bulb.
The physician removes the bulb softened with a special solution using a curette tool.
Although it is a common belief that having the ear cleaned and especially having the ear washed is habit-forming, this is not true. It is not possible for the ear to produce more buşon as it is cleaned and to be blocked more frequently. Frequent plugging of the ear due to buşon is mostly related to the exposure of the person to polluted air. Structural stenosis in the external auditory canal is also one of the factors that make it difficult to expel the buds out of the ear. In the presence of such conditions, the person feels the need to have his ears cleaned more often. However, the need for ear cleaning does not have a direct relationship with washing or cleaning the ear.