Narrow ear canal. is there anything that can be done?!
Question: Narrow ear canal!. is there anything that can be done!?
I am sick of the constant ear infections (every 1-2 months i get one) wax build up (my family are to tight to by ear cleaning products and i cant use cotton wool buds becuz that makes the problem worse) AND every time i get a virus that causes me to cough or sneeze alot i get an ear infection then and all the doctors do is give me antibiotics that give me dioreah!. Is there anything that can be done!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
It's not your ear canal but rather, your Eustachian tube, that's causing the problem!.
The ear can be divided into 3 parts: outer, middle and inner:
http://www!.eonmeditech!.com/patient-resou!.!.!.
http://www!.scienceclarified!.com/images/u!.!.!.
Ear canal is part of the outer ear, and where wax is produced!. As long as you can hear ok, your ear canal is not too narrow, and you don't have "too much" ear wax!.
You already know cotton wool buds (known as Q-tips in North America) are a bad idea, since they can actually push wax against the ear drum, causing a problem known as impacted cerumen: http://www!.healthatoz!.com/healthatoz/Ato!.!.!.
The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of the throat!. Its purpose is to allow the middle ear to have the same air pressure as the outside world -- for example, when your ears "pop" during an airplane ride!.
Unfortunately, the Eustachian tube also allows viruses to make their way up to the middle ear to cause an ear infection!. The infection is in the middle ear, separated from the outer ear by the ear drum!. So no "ear cleaning products" can even reach the middle ear unless there is a hole in your ear drum!.
There is surgery that can be done to correct Eustachian tube problems, but like all surgeries, it is associated with risks of anesthesia, bleeding, and damage to surrounding tissues!. Your recurrent ear infections, while annoying, do not pose enough health risks to make the risks of the surgery justifiable!.
In short, it's not your ear canal or ear wax that is causing your ear infections, so don't use Q-tips and don't waste your money with ear cleaning products!. You can ask your GP to refer you to an ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist to get an opinion -- that should be covered by NHS!.
Good luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com
The ear can be divided into 3 parts: outer, middle and inner:
http://www!.eonmeditech!.com/patient-resou!.!.!.
http://www!.scienceclarified!.com/images/u!.!.!.
Ear canal is part of the outer ear, and where wax is produced!. As long as you can hear ok, your ear canal is not too narrow, and you don't have "too much" ear wax!.
You already know cotton wool buds (known as Q-tips in North America) are a bad idea, since they can actually push wax against the ear drum, causing a problem known as impacted cerumen: http://www!.healthatoz!.com/healthatoz/Ato!.!.!.
The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of the throat!. Its purpose is to allow the middle ear to have the same air pressure as the outside world -- for example, when your ears "pop" during an airplane ride!.
Unfortunately, the Eustachian tube also allows viruses to make their way up to the middle ear to cause an ear infection!. The infection is in the middle ear, separated from the outer ear by the ear drum!. So no "ear cleaning products" can even reach the middle ear unless there is a hole in your ear drum!.
There is surgery that can be done to correct Eustachian tube problems, but like all surgeries, it is associated with risks of anesthesia, bleeding, and damage to surrounding tissues!. Your recurrent ear infections, while annoying, do not pose enough health risks to make the risks of the surgery justifiable!.
In short, it's not your ear canal or ear wax that is causing your ear infections, so don't use Q-tips and don't waste your money with ear cleaning products!. You can ask your GP to refer you to an ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist to get an opinion -- that should be covered by NHS!.
Good luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com