Oily ear, also known as moist earwax, wet ears, soft earwax, oily earwax, or greasy earwax, refers to the oily, sticky earwax (or cerumen) secreted from the external auditory canal. This is generally a normal physiological phenomenon caused by genetic factors, overactive cerumen glands, and unhealthy lifestyle habits. However, it can also be caused by conditions such as otitis externa and suppurative otitis media, and can be accompanied by symptoms such as ear pain.
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
There is no exact epidemiological data for reference at present.
Contagious
Not contagious.
Incidence
There is no exact epidemiological data for reference at present.
High-risk population
There is no exact epidemiological data for reference at present.
symptom
Typical manifestations
Oily ear is characterized by the production of oily, sticky earwax, which can make the ear canal feel moist. Because oily earwax is more difficult to expel on its own than dry earwax, improper cleaning can lead to its accumulation in the ear canal, even forming large lumps that can block the ear canal and cause symptoms such as itching, hearing loss, and tinnitus. Furthermore, if oily ear is caused by a medical condition, it may be accompanied by ear pain and yellow-red patches on the skin.
complication
Ear canal damage: If you use improper force when cleaning oily ears, it may cause damage to the mucous membrane in the ear canal, causing symptoms such as ear pain.
reason
Overview
Oily ears are generally a normal physiological phenomenon, mainly determined by genetic factors. In some cases, oily ears may be related to specific medical conditions that may change the state of secretions in the ear canal.
Cause of symptoms
1. Genetic factors
The type of earwax a person has is mainly determined by genes. If a parent has oily ears, the individual is more likely to have oily ears.
2. Excessive cerumen secretion
The cerumen glands, located within the skin of the external auditory canal, are responsible for producing earwax. When the cerumen glands are active, earwax production increases. Earwax is primarily composed of fatty acids, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Excessive secretion increases the oil content in earwax, potentially leading to oily ears.
3. Bad living habits
Long-term consumption of high-fat foods can cause the ear skin and cerumen glands to secrete too much oil, which in turn causes oily ears. In addition, irregular work and rest schedules and excessive fatigue may also affect the body’s metabolism, indirectly leading to the appearance of oily ears.
4. Suppurative otitis media
Suppurative otitis media is a common ear disease that can cause changes in the environment within the ear canal. During inflammation, the glands in the ear canal may secrete more substances to protect the ear canal, which may include oil components, leading to the formation of oily ears.
5. Otitis externa
Otitis externa is an inflammation of the skin of the external auditory canal. During inflammation, glands in the ear canal may secrete abnormally, causing changes in the texture and composition of earwax. This change can cause earwax to become oilier, leading to oily ears.
6. Seborrheic dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition characterized by excessive oil production in the skin. When this condition affects the ear canal, it can cause the sebaceous glands in the ear canal to overactive, increasing the oil content in earwax and contributing to the formation of oily ears.
Common diseases
suppurative otitis media, otitis externa, seborrheic dermatitis
Seeking medical treatment
Outpatient indications
1. Oily earwax accumulates in the ear canal and blocks it, leading to hearing loss and tinnitus;
2. Sudden appearance of oily earwax;
3. Accompanied by symptoms such as ear pain and rash;
4. Other severe, persistent or progressive symptoms and signs occur.
All of the above require prompt medical consultation.
Treatment department
This disease falls within the scope of ear, nose and throat diagnosis and treatment, and patients can go to the otolaryngology department for treatment.
Medical preparation
1. Make an appointment in advance and bring your ID card, medical insurance card, medical card, etc.
2. If you have had medical treatment recently, please bring relevant medical records, examination reports, laboratory test results, etc.
3. If you have taken some medicine to relieve symptoms recently, you can bring the medicine box with you.
4. Family members can be arranged to accompany the patient to seek medical treatment.
5. Patients can prepare a list of questions they want to ask in advance.
What questions might a doctor ask a patient?
1. What symptoms do you have?
2. Does your oily ear persist or did it appear suddenly?
3. Are there any other symptoms, such as ear pain?
4. Does anyone in your family have oily ears?
5. What are your usual eating and living habits?
6. How often do you clean your ears?
7. Do you have any diseases, such as otitis media, seborrheic dermatitis, etc.?
8. Have you ever received treatment before? How was it treated? What was the effect?
What questions can patients ask their doctor?
1. What might be causing my symptoms?
2. Is it serious? Will it affect hearing?
3. Is it hereditary?
4. What tests are needed?
5. How is it treated? How long does it take?
6. What should we pay attention to in daily life?
examine
Scheduled inspection
When oily earwax accumulates and clogs the ear canal, causing hearing loss, tinnitus, or the sudden onset of oily ears accompanied by ear pain, seek medical attention. The doctor will first perform a physical examination to gain a preliminary understanding of the condition and may recommend blood tests, pathogen culture, CT scans, and otoscopy to further clarify the condition.
Physical examination
1. Routine inspection
The doctor will observe the appearance of the patient’s ears and check for abnormal secretions, redness, swelling, pain and other symptoms to help preliminarily determine the condition and cause.
2. Listening test
Including pure tone audiometry, acoustic immittance, etc., to assess the patient’s hearing condition and determine whether there is hearing loss.
Laboratory tests
1. Blood routine test
Doctors can determine whether there is infection by observing changes in the number of white blood cells, neutrophils, etc.
2. Pathogenic microorganism culture
If oily ears are suspected to be related to infection, samples can be taken for pathogen culture to identify the pathogen and guide treatment.
Imaging examinations
Ear CT scans can clearly show the ear structure, helping doctors determine whether there are lesions such as otitis media and acoustic neuroma. For patients with oily ears, CT scans can rule out whether the symptoms of oily ears are caused by ear diseases.
Pathological examination
If there are skin lesions, it may be necessary to scrape some skin tissue and observe it under a microscope to determine the type of skin disease.
Other tests
An otoscope allows for a direct view of the ear canal, eardrum, and middle ear. Doctors can use this to determine whether oily ears are causing ear canal blockage or other conditions such as otitis externa or otitis media. It also helps doctors clean earwax and secretions from the ear canal to improve hearing.
diagnosis
Diagnostic principles
Generally, a clear diagnosis can be made based on family history, the sudden onset of oily earwax, or persistent accumulation of oily earwax in the ear canal leading to hearing loss and tinnitus, combined with blood tests, pathogen culture, CT scans, and otoscopy. During the diagnosis process, doctors need to differentiate between several common possible causes of oily ears, including suppurative otitis media, otitis externa, and seborrheic dermatitis.
Differential diagnosis
1. Suppurative otitis media
In addition to oily ears, this disease can also cause symptoms such as ear pain, pus discharge in the ear, congestion of the tympanic membrane, perforation of the tympanic membrane, and hearing loss. The diagnosis can be confirmed through pathogen culture, otoscopy and other examinations.
2. Otitis externa
In addition to oily ears, this disease can also cause symptoms such as congestion of the external auditory canal, ear itching, and ear pain. The diagnosis can be confirmed through ear CT, otoscope and other examinations.
3. Seborrheic dermatitis
In addition to oily ears, this disease can also cause symptoms such as yellow-red patches and itchy skin, which can be confirmed through skin tissue pathology examination.
treat
Expected treatment
For patients with oily ears, special treatment is generally not required. Regular ear cleaning and adjustments to lifestyle and dietary habits are sufficient. If symptoms such as ear pain, rash, or hearing loss occur, appropriate measures should be taken under the guidance of a doctor to help improve the symptoms.
General treatment
1. Regularly use a soft-bristled brush to gently clean the oily earwax in the external auditory canal to keep the ear canal clean and unobstructed and prevent earwax accumulation. However, frequent or excessive ear cleaning should be avoided to reduce irritation and damage to the ear canal.
2. Keep your ears dry and avoid water entering the ears to prevent infection.
3. If there is a lot of oily earwax in the ear canal, you can use a professional earwax hook or suction device to remove the oily secretions in the ear canal. If the earwax is hard or difficult to remove, you can soften it with sodium bicarbonate solution before cleaning.
Drug treatment
If oily ears are accompanied by infection, appropriate drugs can be selected based on the results of pathogen culture and drug sensitivity tests, such as ofloxacin ear drops, chloramphenicol ear drops, amoxicillin capsules, cefixime capsules, etc., to reduce the inflammatory response.
Related drugs
Ofloxacin ear drops, chloramphenicol ear drops, amoxicillin capsules, cefixime capsules
Surgical treatment
Surgical treatment is usually not required.
Treatment cycle
The treatment cycle is affected by factors such as the severity of the disease, treatment plan, treatment timing, age and physical condition, and may vary from person to person.
Estimated treatment costs
There may be significant individual differences in treatment costs, which are related to the selected hospital, treatment plan, medical insurance policy, etc.
Prognosis
General prognosis
The prognosis for oily ears is generally good, as they are a normal physiological phenomenon and will not cause serious health problems as long as they are cleaned and cared for regularly. However, in some cases, oily ears are caused by conditions such as suppurative otitis media or otitis externa, which require active treatment. Failure to do so may affect hearing or cause the inflammation to spread.
Hazards
1. If oily ears are not cleaned regularly, they may block the ear canal, leading to symptoms such as tinnitus and hearing loss.
2. Oily ears may be accompanied by symptoms such as ear pain, which reduces the quality of life.
Curative
Through active and effective treatment, diseases caused by this disease can generally be cured.
daily
Nursing principles
For patients with oily ears, they should pay attention to moderate cleaning of the ear canal, keeping the ears dry, and improving personal hygiene in daily life to help relieve symptoms and maintain ear health.
Life Management
1. Regularly use a cotton swab to gently wipe the external auditory canal to remove excess oil and earwax.
2. Avoid using sharp objects or inserting them too deep into the ear canal to avoid damaging the ear canal skin.
3. Keep your ears dry and avoid wearing headphones for long periods of time to reduce humidity and pressure in the ear canal.
4. If the earphones are in frequent contact with the ears, they should be cleaned regularly to prevent grease accumulation and bacterial growth.
diet
Dietary adjustment
For patients with oily ears, it is advisable to eat a light diet and reduce the intake of greasy, spicy and irritating foods to help regulate the body’s oil balance and reduce the greasiness of ear secretions.
Dietary recommendations
1. The diet should be light, and consume more easily digestible and nutritious foods, such as egg custard, noodles, lean meat porridge, etc., which will help reduce the secretion of oil in the body and thus alleviate the symptoms of oily ears.
2. Moderate intake of foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as deep-sea fish (salmon, mackerel, etc.), can help reduce inflammation and may be beneficial in relieving oily ear symptoms.
3. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, spinach, cucumbers, etc.
4. Maintain adequate water intake.
Dietary taboos
Try to avoid eating greasy, spicy foods, such as fried chicken, chili peppers, and peppercorns.
prevention
Preventive measures
Oily ears are usually caused by genetic factors and are generally not preventable. However, proper cleaning of the ear canal, keeping it dry, and avoiding ear injuries can help reduce the risk of developing oily ears due to medical conditions.
1. Clean your ear canal regularly, but avoid using cotton swabs to penetrate deep into the ear canal and do not clean it frequently.
2. After bathing or swimming, gently dry your ears with a clean towel or tissue to avoid moisture retention in the ear canal.
3. Do not use ear canal cleaning products containing irritating chemicals such as alcohol, so as not to irritate the ear canal and cause more oil secretion.
4. Eat a light diet and avoid excessive intake of fried, spicy and irritating foods.
5. Actively treat ear diseases.