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When learning how to clean children's ears, safety is a top priority. There are many methods and tools for cleaning children's ears. However, cleaning children's ears is not as easy as adults often think, and it is up to parents to find out the best way for children and also to be scientific.1. What is earwax?
Earwax is a substance that is naturally produced by the body, even in infants. Glands in the ear make earwax to trap dirt and other things that can harm the ear. The ingredients in earwax contain enzymes that help prevent bacteria and fungi from growing in the ear. Furthermore, earwax creates a barrier to protect the ear canal from water.Normally, earwax can be brown to yellowish in color and has no odor. Children's earwax is usually softer and finer. But just because it's a natural thing doesn't mean parents should ignore it entirely — it's important to know how to properly clean a child's ears, whether or not to remove baby's earwax, as well as How is earwax for a baby?
Earwax often accumulates, dries up and moves to the outer ear where it will fall out. However, when earwax builds up faster than a child's body can remove, problems such as ear pain, itching, and even hearing problems can occur.
2. Should you get your baby's earwax?
Because earwax usually corrects itself by moving from the inside of the ear canal to the outside, waxing a baby should only be done for two reasons:When the doctor needs to remove the earwax to see the membrane. atrium. When secretions stick and affect hearing. Except for the two cases mentioned above, do not put anything inside the child's ear canal (including cotton swabs). Soft objects always pose a risk of puncturing the ear. Even if the baby's earwax is not careful, parents can push more earwax towards the eardrum, causing the secretions to clump together and interfere with hearing.
3. Ways to clean your baby's ears
Do not use cotton swabs as this is not a safe way to clean your baby's ears! Parents should never put anything in a child's eardrum as a way to remove earwax. This can cause an eardrum to rupture or make earwax problems worse.Instead, parents should only clean children's ears with a washcloth. This method is often used to clean the outer ear. It is also the method most recommended by pediatricians. Here are some quick and easy tips for cleaning your baby's ears:
Wet a washcloth with warm water. Make sure the water is not too hot. Next, wring out the towel to prevent excess water from entering the child's ear. Gently rub the towel around the outer ear to remove earwax that has accumulated in place. Never insert a towel in a baby's ear. Since don't do it with a cotton swab, don't do it with a washcloth. That's not the right way to clean baby's earwax. If earwax is suspected in your child's ear, see your pediatrician before buying any earwax drops for your child. There are also a number of brands available over-the-counter that your doctor can recommend for ear cleaning. When using prescription ear drops for babies, there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so:
Newborn earwax removal ear drops should only be used when the baby is calm and not fussy. Rub the bottle between your hands to warm it up. Fill the dropper to the appropriate level. Place the dropper above the ear canal. Put the cleaning solution drop by drop into the child's ear. Try to keep the child still for five minutes to make sure the drops get into the ear canal. Turn the baby's head to the side, the cleaning solution will pull out the baby's earwax. Gently wipe your baby's ear lobe and outer ear canal with a clean cloth. If earwax drops and warm towels don't work when cleaning your baby's ears, ENT doctors may choose to use an infant earwax. Stubborn earwax is sometimes removed with an instrument called a curettage. It sounds painful, but doctors do it gently so that the baby's eardrum is not damaged.
In summary, keep in mind that not all types of baby earwax are harmful. Most are normal and harmless to a child's health. Only when earwax is too much and affects children's hearing, parents need to think about cleaning their children's ears. Accordingly, it is necessary to know when and how to remove earwax for the baby and how to clean the baby's ears while ensuring safety.
Reference source: aboutkidshealth.ca; chla.org/blog; thebump.com; kidshealth.org.
