Can i take my ear wick out?

If you’re someone who’s had to wear an ear wick, then you know the struggle of having a foreign object in your ear. At some point, it’s only natural to ask yourself: “Can I take my ear wick out?” Well, the answer is yes! But before we get into all that, let’s first understand what an ear wick is and why one would need it.

What is an Ear Wick?

An ear wick is a tiny piece of cotton or gauze placed inside the outer part of your ear canal. The purpose of this device is to absorb any fluids or medication applied inside the ear canal while also creating more surface area for medicine to be absorbed by. Essentially, it helps deliver medications more effectively than traditional drops ever could.

When Are They Used?

Ear wicks are most commonly used when treating acute otitis media (AOM), chronic otitis media (COM) with perforation(s), and swimmer’s ears. If these terms sound like gibberish to you – fret not! We’ll breakdown each condition below:

Acute Otitis Media

This simply refers to a middle-ear infection that occurs suddenly but temporarily. It generally causes pain/discomfort along with symptoms such as fever and vomiting.

Chronic Otitis Media with Perforations

COM refers to long-standing issues within the mass bones located behind our eardrums leading towards our inner ears – thus inhibiting efficient hearing abilities.Treatment can often include surgically repairing these bones / holes present without affecting sensitive areas otherwise leading towards nerve damage .

Swimmer’s Ears

Swimmer’s ears are common among individuals who spend extended periods of time submerged in water (hello pool players!). This affects individuals who may have ruptured their tympanic membranes during prone events such as scuba diving, setting the way for natural mucus in ears leading to infections.

How To Take Out An Ear Wick?

Now let’s address the elephant in the room – how does one go about removing an ear wick? Lucky for you, it is a relatively easy and painless process that can be done at home (cue massive sighs of relief).

Step 1: Prepare Adequate Materials

Before beginning, make sure you have the following materials on hand:

  • Clean tissue
  • Small tweezers
  • Saline or Hydrogen Peroxide
    (Hold onto your horses though! Despite what Youtube may convince otherwise NEVER use cotton buds/ Q-tips as they’ll ultimately just push down chunks making matters worse!).

Step 2: Cleaning The Area

The first step when cleaning is ensuring everything – ideally hands- are clean. Then wet a soft microfibre cloth with lukewarm water before using it to delicately wipe around outside crevices of concerned ear . Proper hygiene is key and ensures there’s not cross contamination from follicles/debris entering sensitive areas further in thus spoiling entire recovery procese.

Step 3: Grab Those Tweezers!

Begin by gently pulling back on the end of an exposed portion sticking out slightly so as not to hurt oneself while avoiding pulling adjacent clumps whilst keeping tweezer tips ends away from eardrum area (thus avoiding inserting too far). The wick should slide right out without any discomfort !

Step 4: Post-Extraction Care

Once extracted depending on reason/treatment instructions its customary medical advice recommended waiting until next appointment rather than removing remaining pieces yourself carelessly which could potentially exacerbate symptoms.

Can I Wear An Ear Wick For Too Long?

While wearing an ear wick may seem uncomfortable initially these devices are designed to promote better recovery rates but can lead towards additional problems if left in beyond the recommended duration of treatment.Helpful tip to bear in mind is IF IT HURTS, DON’T DO IT. Typically ear wicks should only be worn for around three days especially during periods of heavy discharge and left after clearing up.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! Removing an ear wick isn’t as intimidating as it may initially seem. Simply ensure one has cleaned properly beforehand to breakdown any discharged residue then carefully extract the exposed portion with tweezers before following post-extraction care instructions provided. Remember always necessary that your ears remain clean and free from bacteria or debris so take precautions whilst administering medication if ever required ! So here’s wishing everyone a safe,clean recovery going forward, post-ear-wick removals!

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