Ear care facts
The ear is the centre of balance and hearing, and whilst pretty robust on the outside, it is in fact an extremely fragile organ.
Earwax – also called cerumen – is a mixture of skin exfoliation, cholesterol, fatty acids, minerals and skin proteins. It is produced in the outer third of the ear canal, and its composition varies from person to person. It is a barrier against external incursion but accumulation of earwax can create plugs, which can be painful to remove and cause disorders such as reduction in hearing ability, buzzing, vertigo, loss of balance, eczema and fungal infections. It is also more difficult to examine the ear canal and detect meningitis symptoms.
Earwax exists in 3 forms:
- Semi-liquid: found in infants and young children, is usually removed with micro-suction
- Solid: commonly found, is syringed or removed with a scraper
- Hard: found in older people, is painful to extract
Most people use cotton buds to clean their ears, since previously there has been no alternative. However it is not recommended to use cotton buds, as they push the earwax further down the auditory canal and create recurring earwax plugs.
Despite their gentle look, cotton buds can be harmful if they are misused and can cause a perforation of the eardrum/tympanic membrane. In fact there are some 7,000 injuries involving cotton buds in the UK, every year¹.
Cotton buds can also be responsible for various disorders such as itches, inflammation of the external ear canal, eczema, fungal infections, and chronic external otitis.
Ongoing and regular use of AUDICLEAN will keep the ears cleansed and free of earwax. Always wipe the ears after using AUDICLEAN to remove the excess wax and to dry the ear.
14% of adults and 25% of children will at some stage in their life endure the discomfort of ear related disorders².
¹ Source: RoSPA
² Source: Community Pharmacy Q4/1999
