Sulfur traffic jams - perhaps the most common cause of visiting to the otorinolaryngologist. In one day Doctor, if «lucky», can take a dozen patients with this diagnosis. In the relevance of information about sulfur traffic jams, it is difficult to doubt, because about 4% of people in Russia suffers from them.
So what is a sulfur plug? This is simply an excessive accumulation of the ear secret, leading to the blockage of the external auditory passage.
A little about the ears
The outer hearing pass is conventionally divided into two departments: the first, interfluent-cartilage, is closer to the exit (outside), and the second, bone, is closer to the eardrum. The border between these two departments - the experiencing - the most narrow place in the outer hearing aisle.
There are several types of glands in the skin of an external auditory passage:
- sulfur glands (produce sulfur - milk-white liquid);
- Sing glands (produce skin fat);
- Sweet glands.
But sulfur glands, which is very important, are only available in the outer, interfluent-cartilage department, so sulfur is formed only there.
Why need sulfur?
Own sulfur is formed by mixing components produced by ear glands. She has a very rich and complex composition, which includes fats (lipids), proteins (proteins), keratin scales, loss of epithelium, enzymes, immunoglobulins, glycopeptides, hyaluronic acid, cholesterol and other organic matter.
The composition of the sulfur is slightly different in men and in women, for example, a male sulfur gives a less acidic reaction than women's. It also depends on the nationality of man. For example, representatives of Asian nations sulfur contains more proteins and under consistency is dry, and Caucasians and African Americans are rich in fats and softer in structure.
In general, the function of the sulfur - the protection of the skin of the ear. Namely:
- Fat that are included in its composition prevent the hectic of the skin of the ear when water gets into it.
- The acidic sulfur response performs some antiseptic function: prevents the growth of bacteria, reproduction of fungi.
Sulfur forms from any healthy person. Normally, it itself is removed from the ear with chewing and conversation, because at the same time there is a movement of the temporomyhylystic joint and the ear passage located next to it. But some people do not happen. Sulfur pieces accumulate in the outer hearing aisle, gradually clog it and form a traffic jam. Why does it happen?
Why traffic jams appear?
There are several reasons. Therefore, we divide them into groups.
BUT. Increased gray formation:
- Wrong toilet ear. Ears, of course, need to wash. And even, as they say in a children's poem, daily. But excessive desire for cleanliness can bring problems. Ear sulfur, as we said, fulfills the protective function and is necessary for a person. If the patient cleans her ears every day using cotton sticks, trying to remove the whole sulfur - this will cause skin irritation of the outer auditory passage and an increase in serovka, that is, it will give an opposite effect!
In addition, the improper use of cotton sticks contributes to the pushing of the already available sulfur for the experiencing (the narrowest place of the external auditory pass), closer to the eardrum. It provokes the scope of sulfur masses and traffic jams.
B. Bad conditions for the removal of sulfur from ear: anatomically narrow and convicted external auditory passages.
Symptoms
Sulfur can fill in almost the entire outer hearing pass, and it will not be seen by the patient. After all, the hearing does not suffer, while there is at least the slightest clearance connecting the environment with a drumpot.
But it is worth the sulfur masses to completely climb the passage of the ear - the loss of hearing is coming on the sore side. Often it happens after bathing, taking the soul, t. E. After entering the ear of water, which causes sulfur swelling. Patients celebrate the appearance of noise in the ear, the feelings of congestion, an autophonia arises (in the ear is given to his own voice).
If the sulfur plug is located near the eardrum, it can irritate her nervous endings, which causes some reflex symptoms: cough, nausea, headaches, dizziness and even violation of cardiac activity.
In addition, a long contact of the sulfur tube with a drumpoint can lead to the development of the inflammatory reaction and the occurrence of inflammation of the middle ear.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of sulfur tube is very simple.
First, the doctor focuses on characteristic complaints.
Secondly, the otorhinolaryngologist examines the ear with an ear funnel or a special device - the otoscope. Normally, the doctor can see the eardrum without any problems, if the outer hearing pass is clogged, he sees only yellow or brown masses of ear sulfur. If the doctor finds it difficult to make a diagnosis, it can feel a cork using a special tool similar to a wand with a rounded end - a coordinate probe. According to the consistency of traffic jams, they are different: first they are soft, and over time are becoming more densely, right up to the stony state.
Treatment of sulfur tube
Treatment of sulfur tube one - removing it from ear. But there are different removal methods.
The most common and frequent method - Washing ear. Due to the simplicity of the procedure, it can carry out not only an otorinolaryngologist, but also a doctor of any specialty.
The patient sits on a chair, sick ear to the doctor, the canlenka is sprinkled on his shoulder, and under the ear, the tray is substituted, which the patient holds independently. For washing uses a special syringe of 100 ml - Jean Syringe. The doctor recaptures warmly (but not hot and not cold) water and carefully, directing the water stream along the topless wall of the outdoor auditory passage (this is necessary, so as not to damage the drum blade with a stream of water), shears sulfur masses from an external auditory pass.
The procedure may cause unpleasant sensations, especially if the plug is dense and old. It is not always possible to wash the sulfur masses from the first time. If after three attempts, the cork is not deleted, the doctor usually stops the procedure and prescribes softening drops to the patient for several days. Most often, the usual hydrogen peroxide is used for this purpose, soda-glycerin drops can be used (0.5 g of soda + 10 ml of glycerol + 10 ml of water). 2-3 drops several times a day help soften the dense tube, and the ear re-washing usually turns out to be successful.
We want to draw the attention of readers our site that after the ear burdens, the ear may worsen! This is a normal phenomenon: softening, the sulfur plug swells and clogs the clearance of the ear.
After removing the sulfur tube, the doctor necessarily examines the ear again. He needs to evaluate the state of the eardrum and exclude otitis.
Be sure to inform the doctor if you have a perforation of the eardrum! In this case, it is impossible to rinse the ear (only sometimes washing using instead of water antiseptic furaticiline solution).
The second method of removing the sulfur tube is Dry fashion. Usually you remove the plug in those who are contraindicated with washing. At the same time, the doctor with a special ear crochet under the control of vision removes sulfur masses from the ear. This procedure can only hold an otorhinolaryngologist. The method is also not always effective, but in most cases it gives a good result.
Excitable patients, children, especially restless and restless, with difficulty allow to carry out the ear. For this category of patients developed Preparations for Cerumenizisis (Dissolving Sulfur Tube), the most popular and effective of them is A-Cerumen.
To remove the sulfur tube, the medicine must be applied 2 times a day for 3-5 days. Correctly use the drug very easily: the bottle opens with turning its top, then its content is buried in the ear. At the same time it is better to lie down, turning the head on a healthy side. In the ear, approximately halflared medicine (about 1 ml), after the instillation, you need to lie down, without moving, another one and a half minutes, after which you can turn it out and give to the medicine together with soluble sulfur masses. After the procedure you can rinse the ear with warm water or physical.
Contraindications for use of A-Ceruen:
- Perforation in the eardrum;
- Shunt in the eardrum (in fact, the same perforation, only made specially surgically);
- Shunting within 6-12 months before the planned application of the medication (this time it may not be enough for the hole in the eardrum completely closed);
- children up to 2.5 years;
- Individual intolerance to the components of the drug.
Despite the fact that the reviews of A-Cerumen are pretty good, this medicine can also be called a panacea. Full dissolution of traffic jams are not at all patients (about 25%), the rest still has to visit the Laura and rinse the ear. But in any case, the softened plugs are washed out much easier than those who are dear and stony.
Can I avoid this?
Prevention of sulfur traffic jams - a very relevant question. Not for all reasons for their appearance we can affect. But some of them are quite amenable to correction.
- Right toilet ear. First, cotton sticks are intended only for cleaning the ear shells, they can not penetrate deep into the outer hearing pass. Secondly, even if you need to clean the ear, it needs to be done like this: first, you will have a shallow wand in a hearing pass, and then make it a careful rotational movement. Categorically contraindicated moving cotton wand «There and here», that is, deeper into the lumen of the ear and back. This is fraught with damage to the eardrum. And once again I remind readers our website: no need to abuse the ear cleaning. Own sink, the ear region needs to be cleaned daily. But the outer hearing pass should not touch more often once a week (and even in two weeks), and strive to clean it «to holes» Also not worth it.
- The composition of sulfur includes cholesterol, and its number directly depends on the concentration of it in the blood. Therefore, people who have enhanced cholesterol, it is worth thinking about proper nutrition and receiving appropriate drugs.
- People who are used by intravel headphones, hearing aids, often located in dusty places or in rooms with high humidity (as well as water-acting persons) can be periodically used by drugs like A-Cerunet. Preventive treatment of the drug: 2 times a week in both ear.
- Timely treatment of chronic diseases of the ear: dermatitis, eczema, chronic medium otitis.
