From TODAY, Health
Tuesday August 12, 2008
ASK THE DOC
Tuesday August 12, 2008
ASK THE DOC
QUESTION BY NINA HO
My nine-year-old daughter has dry ear wax. When she was seven, a health check revealed that her ears were partially blocked by it. When we took her to the polyclinic to have the wax irrigated, we found, to our horror, that the wax was about the size of a quail’s egg! The secondary wax came out in smaller pieces.
Last year, her ear canal was blocked again. I tried to dislodge the wax with the use of a plastic baby clipper. It was mildly successful as I could remove the wax which was not too deep in. Recently, she complained of the clogging in her ear again. What can I do to resolve this problem? Is it advisable to use the irrigation method once a year on a child? Is there any long-term solution or daily care regiment I should take note of?
ANSWER BY DR LESLIE TAY
GENERAL PRACTITIONER
KARRI FAMILY CLINIC
My nine-year-old daughter has dry ear wax. When she was seven, a health check revealed that her ears were partially blocked by it. When we took her to the polyclinic to have the wax irrigated, we found, to our horror, that the wax was about the size of a quail’s egg! The secondary wax came out in smaller pieces.
Last year, her ear canal was blocked again. I tried to dislodge the wax with the use of a plastic baby clipper. It was mildly successful as I could remove the wax which was not too deep in. Recently, she complained of the clogging in her ear again. What can I do to resolve this problem? Is it advisable to use the irrigation method once a year on a child? Is there any long-term solution or daily care regiment I should take note of?
ANSWER BY DR LESLIE TAY
GENERAL PRACTITIONER
KARRI FAMILY CLINIC
In general, one should not stick anything smaller then a small finger into the ear canal. One common practice is to use cotton buds to clean the ears after bathing. Instead of helping, it worsens the problem. Pushing the wax deeper into the ear canal and compacting it is very much like how gunpowder is compressed into a canon. We advise parents not to do this.
If your child has frequent problems with ear wax, one safe solution is to use eardrops — which you can obtain easily from a pharmacy — to dissolve the wax. The drops can be used frequently to keep the wax from building up.
If there is a lot of wax and the drops are not sufficient, bring her to the doctor to irrigate the ear canal. This is a very safe procedure when performed by a medical professional.
The information provided above is for your general knowledge only. You should seek medical advice or treatment for your condition. Email questions to health@newstoday.com.sg.
If your child has frequent problems with ear wax, one safe solution is to use eardrops — which you can obtain easily from a pharmacy — to dissolve the wax. The drops can be used frequently to keep the wax from building up.
If there is a lot of wax and the drops are not sufficient, bring her to the doctor to irrigate the ear canal. This is a very safe procedure when performed by a medical professional.
The information provided above is for your general knowledge only. You should seek medical advice or treatment for your condition. Email questions to health@newstoday.com.sg.
No comments:
Post a Comment