Ear Wax Build-Up in Children

Does your child seem to be ignoring you when you call? Is he asking you to repeat things you say to him? Is he complaining about an earache or rubbing his ear a lot? A visit to your doctor can tell you if these issues are caused by ear-wax build-up.

Causes

• Earwax build-up in children can happen because of excessive ear wax production or because of items inserted in the ears, compacting ear wax.

Effects

• Some children may complain of an earache or ringing in their ears if they have ear wax build-up. You may also notice some hearing loss in your child.

Misconceptions

• There is no need to clean normal ear wax out of your child's ear. Ear wax helps prevent infections by trapping dust and debris that enters the ear canal.

Prevention/Solution

• If your child is prone to ear wax build up, you can help prevent or delay it by preventing or discouraging him from putting fingers or other objects in his ear. You can also use a home cleaning kit or visit your doctor to have excessive ear-wax build-up removed.

Warning

• Ear candling, the process of inserting a tube in the ear and lighting the other end, can cause serious damage to the inner ear. Likewise, using cotton swabs to clean the inner ear can compact ear wax and add to the problem of excessive ear wax build-up.