Ear
My ear feels blocked
Ear wax removal in KPHB, Hyderabad
A blocked ear is one of the quickest things we fix. Most are clear before you leave.
Does this sound like you?
- One or both ears feel full or blocked
- Muffled hearing, your own voice sounds loud
- Worse after swimming or a shower
- Itching, or a feeling of something in the ear
- Blocked since a cold or a flight
Ear wax removal at Sinocare ENT Hospital, KPHB Colony, Kukatpally, is done under the microscope, usually at the first visit. A blocked ear is more uncomfortable than it is serious. Most of the time it is wax, and wax is removed under a microscope in a few minutes. The next commonest causes are fluid behind the eardrum after a cold, and a pressure problem after a flight. All three are treated at the hospital. The examination tells which one it is within a minute.
What it looks like inside
What it usually is
Wax is normal. The ear makes it to protect the skin of the canal, and it usually works its way out on its own. It builds up in some people: in narrow canals, and in people who wear earplugs or hearing aids. It builds up in almost everybody who uses cotton buds, which push it deeper and pack it against the drum. Water from swimming or a shower swells it. That is why a blocked ear so often follows a bath.
Fluid behind the eardrum, after a cold or with allergy, gives the same fullness without any wax in the canal. A blocked ear that started on a flight or a dive usually has one cause. The pressure tube to the back of the nose has failed to open. Infection of the canal is common in swimmers and in humid weather. It blocks the ear with swelling and is painful.
What happens at the first visit
The ear is examined under magnification. If it is wax, it is removed there and then, at the hospital in KPHB. It is taken out under the microscope with fine suction or instruments, which is safer and more comfortable than syringing. If it is fluid, the eardrum and the nose are examined and a tympanogram confirms it. If it is an infection of the canal, the canal is cleaned and drops are prescribed. Hearing is checked where it has not recovered fully after the ear is clear.
What helps, and what is tried first
- Stop using cotton buds, hair clips, keys and matchsticks. Nothing narrower than your elbow goes into the ear. This single change prevents most wax problems.
- Olive oil or wax-softening drops for a few days, where the wax is hard, before removal.
- Keeping water out while a canal infection settles.
- Decongestants and nasal sprays, with swallowing and gentle pressure exercises, for a pressure block after a flight or cold.
When to come in sooner
- A blocked ear with pain, discharge, or fever
- A blocked ear with sudden hearing loss or dizziness
- A blocked ear in a diabetic with pain, which needs looking at promptly
- Something you know is in the ear, particularly in a child; do not try to remove it at home
If an operation is ever needed
Almost never. Wax and canal infection are treated at the visit, with no stay. In an adult, fluid behind the eardrum can fail to clear for months. Then the back of the nose is examined before anything else. Occasionally a small ear tube (grommet) is needed. That is a small procedure. It comes into the picture only after the simpler explanations have been ruled out.
Questions patients ask
Is ear syringing safe?
Removal under the microscope is preferred here, because the wax is seen as it is removed and the eardrum is protected. Syringing is avoided in anyone who has had a hole in the eardrum or ear surgery.
How often should wax be removed?
Only when it causes a problem. Some people need it cleared every few months; most never do. Ear candles do nothing and can burn the ear.
Why does my ear block after every swim?
Water swells wax that was already there, and swimmers are prone to canal infections. Drying the ears after swimming and keeping buds out of them helps most.
My ear has been blocked since a cold three weeks ago. Is that normal?
Fluid after a cold can take a few weeks to clear. If it has not cleared by then, or if only one ear is affected in an adult, it should be examined.
Can I get ear cleaning done here?
Yes. Wax is removed under the microscope at the hospital, with fine suction or instruments, usually at the same visit.