Aug

Doctor says I clean my ears too often

I went to the doctor recently after the dull pain on the right side of my head would not go away. I was afraid that it might be something serious, or something that could potentially turn into something serious.

I had a suspicion it was originating from my ear so I went to an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor. Whenever I am particularly concerned, I like going to a senior doctor just for the comfort of being examined by someone who I believe has seen enough cases to make a proper diagnosis.

I could have put off this visit since the pain was not too bothersome anyway. But a story my friend told me several years ago reminds me not to take ear infections lightly. There was this girl who liked cleaning her ears. One time, a piece of the cotton bud was left in her ear and it got infected as a result. She was not able to have the doctor check her until much later, when the infection had already spread to her brain. This made her very sick and led to her death. What’s worse was, she was pregnant when this all happened and her unborn child died with her.

So with a story like this, who wouldn’t be prompted to visit the doctor, right?

I described my case to the doctor and after looking into my ear canals, he concluded that I had otomycosis, a fungal ear infection and this was also causing the dull pain on the right side of my head. He said that I clean my ears too often. Once a week should be enough, he advised. And I should not overdo it as the ear wax serves an important function and therefore, should not be removed. I should also be careful that water does not get into my ears when I take a bath. To keep my ears dry, he told me to use a cotton bud dipped in a solution of isopropyl alcohol and vinegar (1:1).

I left the doctor’s office with a sigh of relief! Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised that the doctor did not charge me a high fee! God bless him!

Someone already told me before never to clean my ears too often but this time, I am sure never to forget it.

This is one instance when keeping things too clean can do you more harm than good.