Earwax In Toddlers: Should It Be Removed?

Having earwax in your little one’s ear is not a medical complication, unless it is giving rise to any kind of a pain or other health issues. Read on to know...

Wednesday, March 1, 2017, 15:21 [IST]

When it comes to parenthood, anything and everything can be confusing, doubtful and quite tensing for the parents. There are many cases in which the parents might take a light ailment in the baby as a very serious one. Earwax problem in toddlers is one such matter that puts unnecessary pressure on parents.

Having earwax in your little one's ear is not a medical complication, unless it is giving rise to any kind of a pain or other health issues. Earwax is a waxy substance that is secreted from the ear canal of humans, also known as cerumen.

The ceruminous glands secrete earwax as a natural barrier to protect your ear from many external factors that may affect the ear health. This yellowish substance assists and protects the skin of the ear canal. It also acts as a cleaning agent that lubricates the ear canal.

Knowing what is normal and what is abnormal is key in deciding whether you have to remove earwax in toddlers or not. For this, it is always better to consult a medical expert. Also, here are some important aspects that we need to consider, do take a look.

When Is Earwax A Problem?

Earwax can create health issues when it is produced at a faster rate and in more amount. This will be presented as ear symptoms.

You have to note when your child complains of poor hearing, earache, itching or noisy ears. Chances are more that your child's ear is plugged with ear wax.

How To Clean The Ears?

First and foremost thing to remember is not to put anything in your child's ear to clean the wax. This can cause serious damages to the eardrum, if the child is not co-operating.

There are drops available that can help in dissolving the wax. Try this with the prescription of a doctor. Ask your child to lay sidewards, with the affected ear facing upwards, and then put the drops.

When To Take Medical Assistance?

Never experiment with your child's delicate ears. Consult a doctor and he/she will recommend drops as the first line of treatment.

If the case is not manageable with drops, doctors may go for procedures like pressurised flow of water into the ear canal to wash out the wax. This will also include suction sessions. This can be a little painful and uncomfortable for the child, but it works.

Can We Try Home Remedies?

Earwax is always a target for home remedy trials. There are many unsafe home remedies that are very popular in removing earwax.

Stay away from these types of experiments, as this can result in serious issues like infection and damage to the ear drums. This will make the issue more serious and complicated.

How To Use Ear Buds For Babies?

Scooping the ear with ear buds will cause damage to the ear drum. Using an ear bud can be recommended only if you are using it after softening the earwax with eardrops.

This will make the process a bit easier, as the earwax turns soft and can be removed easily. Always do this with utmost care and make sure that the child does not move his/her head.

How To Prevent Earwax?

There is no need to bother about earwax production, as it is completely normal. But unfortunately, there is nothing that you can do to prevent the over-production of earwax. Keeping the ears clean can prevent any sort of an infection, but not earwax production.