What are the common problems in the external auditory canal?
The external auditory canal (auditory canal) is about 2.5 cm long in adults. The outer 1/3 part is cartilage and the inner 2/3 part is bone. The skin of the cartilaginous part contains hairs and hair sacs, sebaceous and glandular glands. The secretion of the glands and shed epithelial cells combine to form a protective secretion called cerumen. The cerumen has a protective role in the external auditory canal (ear canal), forming a protective barrier against infection with the substances it contains.
What is a plug?
Epithelial cells shed from the eardrum and external auditory canal (ear canal) migrate from the inside out and accumulate in the cartilaginous canal, where they are excreted along with the cerumen. In some people, due to the dense consistency of the serum secretion or anatomical changes in the external auditory canal (ear canal), serum accumulation and plugs (buşon) may occur in the canal. In addition, cotton swabs or similar instruments inserted into the external auditory canal for personal hygiene cannot clean this accumulation and, on the contrary, they can cause the accumulation of serum.This can cause the mucus to be pushed against the eardrum against the normal direction of migration and block the external auditory canal (ear canal), so nothing should be inserted into the external auditory canal (ear canal).
What is an external auditory canal infection?
One of the most common problems in summer is common external ear canal (ear canal) infections. The majority of cases occur in warm and humid environments in summer. Trauma caused by cotton swabs, foreign objects and scratching, headphones, swimming or frequent bathing and showering are among the factors that increase the tendency. Swimmers are prone to external auditory canal infections due to loss of the protective cerumen layer of the external auditory canal due to frequent contact with water. The combination of several of these factors increases the risk even more.
What are the symptoms?
External auditory canal infection most commonly causes complaints of pain, fullness, itching and hearing loss. In the mild stage; itching is at the forefront while the pain is not very severe. In the moderate stage, there is an increase in pain. In the severe stage, the infection can spread beyond the external auditory canal (ear canal) to the auricle, face and back of the ear. When they touch their ears, they cry, tug their ears, sometimes fever, discharge in the external auditory canal, cannot sleep comfortably, and cry more than usual.
What should be done for protection?
Keeping the external auditory canal dry, using ear plugs and swim caps while swimming, not scratching the external auditory canal with cotton swabs or other objects, not trying to clean the serum in the external auditory canal on our own, drying the external auditory canal with a towel after swimming.
How is it treated?
The treatment of cerumen plugs is done by aspiration or lavage by the physician. Very hard and dry plugs may need to be softened with glycerin for a few days.
Treatment of external auditory canal infections is performed by cleaning the external auditory canal, antibiotic ear drops, antibiotic and steroid tampons placed in the external auditory canal when necessary, systemic antibiotics, antimycotic drops in case of fungal infection.
If you have complaints suggestive of a serum plug or external auditory canal infection, you should consult an ENT physician.