Earwax – it’s more dangerous than you think

We don't think much of that yellowish substance in our ears that is commonly known as earwax and experts call cerumen but it can cause more trouble than you know. For example taking a dip in the water can causes the ear wax to absorb water which then expands, causes a blockage and leads to hearing problems. 'We see a lot of people who jump into the pool on the first day of their holiday, which washes ear wax deep into the ear canal, and they then end up spending the rest of their precious holiday deaf or looking for a way or a person to remove the earwax,' she added. Ear wax specialist Kelly is part of a team, which removes more than 100 litres of earwax every year.

Here are few tips from her to keep your ears safe:

• Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ears. This includes hair pins, pens, and pen tips. They may temporarily relieve the irritation, but they push the ear wax further into your ears.
• During a flight, if you suffer from ear pain and you know your ears are clear of wax, try ear planes' earplugs, which slow down the change in air pressure on ascent and landing.
• We can comfortably manage with our ears 95 percent full of ear wax, but once it's more than this, the problem arises. If you have regular ear wax build up, consult a doctor and have the earwax removed.
• For earwax removal, ask your doctor for microsuction. Derived from ear surgery, it uses a binocular operating microscope to see right into the ear canal and a very fine sterile suction device at low pressure to remove the wax.
• Use ear drops. If nothing is available in vicinity, try to unblock ears with ear drops such as olive oil or sodium bi-carbonate ear drops. But stay away ear drops containing hydrogen peroxide. They can damage your ears.
• Use a soft towel to dry the outer part of your ear. The inside will dry on its own. Never use a hair dryer, as this may burn your ear.
• If you're going to a night club where loud music is being played, wear protection.