手機(jī)版
Ears are supposed to be self-cleaning. So what's behind the fascination some people have to help nature along?
耳朵被認(rèn)為有自我清潔功能。那為什么有些人還喜歡多此一舉？
Some 12 million Americans visit medical professionals annually for earwax removal. Millions more have it done at spas and ear-candling parlors, which theoretically suck out earwax with a lighted candle. North Americans also spent $63 million last year on home ear-cleaning products, from drops to irrigation kits, according to market research firm Euromonitor International.
約1,200萬(wàn)美國(guó)人為了清除耳垢而每年看醫(yī)生。還有上百萬(wàn)人在水療院和耳燭美容院清除耳垢，后者理論上是借助點(diǎn)燃的蠟燭把耳垢吸出來(lái)。根據(jù)市場(chǎng)研究機(jī)構(gòu)歐睿國(guó)際(Euromonitor International)的數(shù)據(jù)，去年，北美人還花了6,300萬(wàn)美元購(gòu)買(mǎi)各類(lèi)家用清除耳垢產(chǎn)品，從滴耳液到灌耳工具包，不一而足。
On Internet health forums, people wax rhapsodic about the guilty pleasure of having their earwax removed — though some wonder if it's wrong to enjoy it so much.
在網(wǎng)絡(luò)健康論壇上，人們狂熱地討論著挖耳垢的罪惡快感──盡管有些人懷疑如此愛(ài)挖耳垢是否有問(wèn)題。
Others are unabashed. 'I absolutely love to have my ears cleaned, ' says Holly Kile, an online business manager from Indianapolis who says she uses cotton swabs daily and has her ears candled every couple of months, as does her 12-year-old son. 'It's generally a competition to see who has the grossest things come out, ' she says.
還有些人不以為然。印第安納波利斯(Indianapolis)的網(wǎng)絡(luò)商務(wù)經(jīng)理霍利•凱爾(Holly Kile)說(shuō)：“我很喜歡把耳朵掏干凈。”她說(shuō)，她每天用棉簽掏耳朵，每隔幾個(gè)月用耳燭吸一次耳垢，她12歲的兒子也是如此。她說(shuō)：“我們通常會(huì)比賽，看誰(shuí)掏出的耳垢最多。”
Doctors strongly discourage using cotton swabs or ear candling to remove earwax and say that unless it's causing bothersome symptoms, earwax should be left alone.
醫(yī)生們強(qiáng)烈反對(duì)用棉簽或耳燭清除耳垢，并稱除非耳垢導(dǎo)致不良癥狀，否則應(yīng)該不要去管它。
Officially known as cerumen, earwax is part of the ear's own cleaning system, designed to stop incoming dust, dirt, bacteria — even bugs — in the ear canal and ferry them out again. The wax and trapped debris are propelled along by the movements of the jaw, at about the same speed that fingernails grow. When it reaches the ear opening, the wax usually dries, flakes and falls out, often without the human host noticing.
耳垢的正式名稱是耵聹，它是耳朵自我清潔系統(tǒng)的一部分，目的是阻止進(jìn)入耳道的灰塵、污物、細(xì)菌──甚至是蟲(chóng)子──并把它們趕出去。耳垢和沉積的廢屑被活動(dòng)的下顎推動(dòng)，它的增長(zhǎng)速度和手指甲大致相同。當(dāng)耳垢到達(dá)耳道口時(shí)，通常會(huì)變干、變薄并掉出來(lái)，且通常不會(huì)被人類(lèi)注意到。
The process isn't always smooth. Having too much earwax, or wax that is too dry or too sticky, can create a buildup. Much of that is genetically determined. 'When it comes to earwax, choose your parents well, ' says Richard Rosenfeld, chair of otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.
這個(gè)過(guò)程并非總是一帆風(fēng)順。耳垢太多、太干或太黏都會(huì)導(dǎo)致耳垢堆積。這主要是由基因決定的。位于布魯克林(Brooklyn)的紐約州立大學(xué)下州醫(yī)學(xué)中心(SUNY Downstate Medical Center)的耳鼻喉科主任理查德•羅森菲爾德(Richard Rosenfeld)說(shuō)：“在耳垢這個(gè)問(wèn)題上，要選好父母。”
Wearing ear-bud headphones, hearing aids or ear plugs for long periods can also interfere with orderly extrusion.
長(zhǎng)期戴耳塞式耳機(jī)、助聽(tīng)器或耳塞都可能影響耳垢的規(guī)律性排出。
When excess earwax hardens or gets pushed back down the canal, it can become impacted, which afflicts approximately 10% of children, 5% of healthy adults and up to 57% of older patients in nursing homes, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
當(dāng)多余的耳垢變硬或被擠回耳道下方時(shí)，可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致耳塞。根據(jù)美國(guó)耳鼻喉-頭頸外科學(xué)會(huì)(American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery)的數(shù)據(jù)，兒童的耳塞發(fā)病率約為10%，健康成人的耳塞發(fā)病率約為5%，而養(yǎng)老院中的老人耳塞發(fā)病率高達(dá)57%。
Symptoms of earwax buildup include a feeling of fullness, itching, vertigo, pain, tinnitus (a persistent ringing in the ears) or coughing — due to a nerve pathway that connects the ear with the diaphragm, explains Dr. Rosenfeld, who co-authored the American Academy of Otolaryngology's 2008 guidelines for treating earwax.
耳垢堆積的癥狀包括感到耳塞、耳癢、眩暈、耳疼、耳鳴（耳內(nèi)持續(xù)鳴響）或咳嗽──美國(guó)耳鼻喉學(xué)會(huì)2008年耳垢治療指南的作者之一羅森菲爾德博士解釋說(shuō)，這與連接耳朵和隔膜的神經(jīng)通路有關(guān)。
Excess earwax is also the most common cause of partial hearing loss — and the most treatable.
耳垢過(guò)多也是部分聽(tīng)力喪失的最常見(jiàn)原因──也是最好治療的。
'Those are the happiest patients of my day. You clean out their ears and they say, 'Oh my God, I can hear!', ' says Sarah Stackpole, an otolaryngologist (also known as an ear, nose and throat specialist) in New York City.
紐約的耳鼻喉科醫(yī)生薩拉•斯塔克波爾(Sarah Stackpole)說(shuō)：“他們是我一天中見(jiàn)到的最高興的病人。你為他們清除耳垢后，他們說(shuō)：‘哦，天哪，我能聽(tīng)見(jiàn)了！’”
Removing it at home is an option — if you can do it safely.
在家清除耳垢也是一種選擇──如果你手法安全的話。
That doesn't mean poking cotton swabs, bobby pins or any other implement into the ear to retrieve it, doctors implore. Putting anything into the ear canal risks piercing the eardrum. In fact, attempts to dig earwax out generally pack it in further — 'like loading a Civil War cannon, ' says Rod Moser, a physician assistant at Sutter Roseville Pediatrics, Roseville, Calif.
醫(yī)生勸告說(shuō)，這并不是說(shuō)可以用棉簽捅、用發(fā)夾或其他工具伸進(jìn)耳朵里挖。將任何東西伸入耳道都有令鼓膜穿孔的危險(xiǎn)。實(shí)際上，越想把耳垢挖出來(lái)，通常越會(huì)把它捅得更深──加利福尼亞州羅斯維爾(Roseville)Sutter Roseville Pediatrics的醫(yī)師助理羅德•莫澤(Rod Moser)說(shuō)：“就像為加農(nóng)炮裝彈一樣。”
'Do not go mining for it, ' adds Mr. Moser, who writes the Family Webicine blog for WebMD.
為WebMD撰寫(xiě)“家庭網(wǎng)絡(luò)醫(yī)藥”(Family Webicine)博客專欄的莫澤說(shuō)：“不要去挖它。”
That edict also includes imaginative ear-cleaning implements such as bamboo ear spoons and miniature Samurai swords. ('When you're going to war, you don't take just any old weapon — you take the baddest weapon you can find, ' boasts the Katana/Sword Ear Pick Cleaner, sold for $10 on Amazon.com.)
專業(yè)人士的建議還包括不要用富有想象力的工具，包括竹挖耳勺和微型武士刀。（《武士刀耳挖勺》(Katana/Sword Ear Pick Cleaner)稱：“當(dāng)你打仗時(shí)，不要拿舊武器──否則就是選擇了你能找到的最差的武器。”這本書(shū)在亞馬遜網(wǎng)站(Amazon.com)上有售，價(jià)格為10美元。）
Frequent cleaning can also strip the protective wax from the ear canal lining, leaving it exposed to moisture and vulnerable to the infection. 'Some people — and you know who you are — are literally addicted to Q-Tipping their ears after every shower, ' says Mr. Moser.
經(jīng)常挖耳垢可能會(huì)刮掉耳道內(nèi)的保護(hù)性耳垢，導(dǎo)致耳道暴露在潮氣中，容易感染。莫澤說(shuō)：“有些人──你知道你屬于哪種人──對(duì)每次淋浴后用棉簽掏耳朵上了癮。”
Instead, doctors recommend softening impacted earwax with a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil, commercial ear drops or hydrogen peroxide. Then allow the loosened wax to work its way out naturally.
醫(yī)生建議的是用幾滴礦物油、嬰兒油、市面上有售的那些滴耳液或雙氧水軟化硬耳垢，然后讓變軟的耳垢自行掉出。
If it still needs help, try gentle irrigation with a bulb syringe or tilt your head in the shower, say doctors. After a few minutes, straighten up and let the water run out again. 'Water works just as well as a $10 bottle of ear drops, ' says Dr. Rosenfeld. But doctors say high-pressure water streams, including repurposed jet-tooth cleaners, can be damaging.
醫(yī)生們說(shuō)，如果還不管用，就試著用洗耳球小心灌耳�；蛘咴诹茉r(shí)歪著頭，幾分鐘后，直起身讓水再次流出來(lái)。羅森菲爾德博士說(shuō)：“水和10美元一瓶的滴耳液一樣管用。”但醫(yī)生們表示，高壓水流，包括改造過(guò)的洗牙器，可能會(huì)造成傷害。
Over-the-counter 'ear vacs' are also generally ineffective. In a British study of 16 patients, published in Clinical Otolaryngology in 2005, none reported hearing better after using an ear vac. There was no improvement in visibility of the ear drum and in fact, no ear wax removed at all.
一位母親在清理兒子耳朵中的耳垢
Another problem with do-it-yourself earwax removal: It's hard to see what you're doing, unless you pop for a pricey product like the Coden Ear Scope TV ($150 to $300 on eBay), a lighted magnifying camera that relays images of your ear canal to a computer or TV screen.
藥店賣(mài)的“真空吸耳器”通常也沒(méi)有效果。2005年英國(guó)一項(xiàng)針對(duì)16名病人進(jìn)行的研究的論文發(fā)表在了《臨床耳鼻喉科學(xué)》(Clinical Otolaryngology)上，這些病人中，沒(méi)有人稱使用真空吸耳器后聽(tīng)力有好轉(zhuǎn)。鼓膜能見(jiàn)度也沒(méi)有改善。實(shí)際上，耳垢根本沒(méi)有被清除。
Doctors are particularly scornful of ear candling. 'I think it's the work of the devil, ' says Dr. Stackpole. The process uses a long, hollow cone-shaped candle. The patient lies down on one side, the bottom of the candle is placed in the ear and the other end is set ablaze, theoretically creating a vacuum inside that draws out the wax.
自己挖耳垢還有一個(gè)問(wèn)題：很難看到自己在做什么，除非你購(gòu)買(mǎi)了像Coden Ear Scope TV（eBay上售價(jià)為150美元至300美元）這樣昂貴的產(chǎn)品，它有一個(gè)發(fā)光的放大攝像頭，可以將耳道中的圖像傳輸?shù)诫娔X或電視屏幕上。
Many physicians — and the Food and Drug Administration — warn that it can drop hot wax into delicate ear tissues, cause burns or even set hair on fire. Doctors also say it doesn't work — that brown, gooey stuff inside the cone is candle wax, not earwax.
醫(yī)生們對(duì)耳燭尤其不屑一顧。斯塔克波爾博士說(shuō)：“我認(rèn)為那是魔鬼干的勾當(dāng)。”這種方法使用一根細(xì)長(zhǎng)中空的錐形蠟燭。病人側(cè)躺著，蠟燭底部放在耳朵上，并點(diǎn)燃另一端，這樣理論上可以在內(nèi)部產(chǎn)生真空，吸出耳垢。
If softening drops and irrigation don't work, it's time to seek professional help — from a nurse, physician's assistant, primary-care physician or ear, nose and throat specialist. Many rely on drops and irrigation, but some also use small suction devices and a wired loop instrument called a curette. Some ENTs also have microscopes that attach to the wall and give them a 3-D view into the canal.
許多醫(yī)生──以及美國(guó)食品和藥物管理局(Food and Drug Administration)──警告說(shuō)，這可能使熱蠟滴入嬌嫩的耳組織，導(dǎo)致灼傷，甚至點(diǎn)燃頭發(fā)。醫(yī)生們說(shuō)，這種方法不管用──錐管內(nèi)的棕色膠狀物是燭蠟，而不是耳垢。
Even trained specialists can get carried away when it comes to removing earwax, says Robert Folmer, an investigator at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research in Portland, Ore. He co-authored a 2004 survey in which 11 of 2, 400 patients at an Oregon hearing clinic said their tinnitus was caused by a professional earwax removal.
如果軟化滴耳液和灌耳不管用，那么是時(shí)候找專家?guī)兔α拴ぉた梢允亲o(hù)士、醫(yī)生助手、初級(jí)護(hù)理醫(yī)生甚或耳鼻喉科專家。許多人依靠滴耳液和灌耳，但有些人也使用小吸管或被稱作耳刮匙的鐵圈形工具。有些耳鼻喉科專家還使用附在耳壁上的顯微鏡，好看到耳道中的3D圖像。
Other studies have found that eardrum perforation, infection and hearing loss occur at a rate of about 1 per 1, 000 irrigations. 'Some doctors are really determined, but it isn't like it's a construction project, ' Dr. Folmer says. 'You've got to be gentle.' He suggests that patients ask a clinician what method they plan to use, and how many times they've done the procedure.
使用耳刮匙讓診療過(guò)程更像是“手術(shù)”，它有自己的診療標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，醫(yī)療費(fèi)用可高達(dá)100美元。只用水沖洗不能保證符合診療標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。許多藥店的坐堂醫(yī)生還提供60美元至80美元（根據(jù)方法而定）的清除耳垢服務(wù)。
Aside from earwax 'overproducers, ' who can benefit from a professional cleaning a few times a year, doctors say the average person should not require ear cleaning unless the wax is causing bothersome symptoms or impeding a doctors' ability to examine the eardrum. 'I'd tell the doctor, 'I really like my earwax. Leave it alone, please', ' says Dr. Rosenfeld.
俄勒岡州波特蘭(Portland)美國(guó)國(guó)家聽(tīng)力康復(fù)研究中心(National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research)的調(diào)研員羅伯特•福爾默(Robert Folmer)說(shuō)，即使是訓(xùn)練有素的專家在清除耳垢時(shí)也可能會(huì)失手。他在2004年參與了一項(xiàng)調(diào)查，調(diào)查對(duì)象是俄勒岡州一家聽(tīng)力診所的2,400名病人，其中11人稱，他們的耳鳴是專家在清除耳垢時(shí)導(dǎo)致的。
But some patients can't. Dr. Stackpole says she gives earwax-removal addicts an antibiotic cream to dab at the opening of their ears once a day. 'I do that rather than telling them to do nothing, because they are not capable of doing nothing, ' she says.
還有些研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，每1,000次灌耳中，大約會(huì)出現(xiàn)一次鼓膜穿孔、感染和聽(tīng)力喪失。福爾默博士說(shuō)：“有些醫(yī)生很自信，但這不是蓋房子。你必須手法輕柔。”他建議病人詢問(wèn)醫(yī)生他們計(jì)劃使用的方法，以及治療將進(jìn)行多少次。
耳朵被認(rèn)為有自我清潔功能。那為什么有些人還喜歡多此一舉？
Some 12 million Americans visit medical professionals annually for earwax removal. Millions more have it done at spas and ear-candling parlors, which theoretically suck out earwax with a lighted candle. North Americans also spent $63 million last year on home ear-cleaning products, from drops to irrigation kits, according to market research firm Euromonitor International.
約1,200萬(wàn)美國(guó)人為了清除耳垢而每年看醫(yī)生。還有上百萬(wàn)人在水療院和耳燭美容院清除耳垢，后者理論上是借助點(diǎn)燃的蠟燭把耳垢吸出來(lái)。根據(jù)市場(chǎng)研究機(jī)構(gòu)歐睿國(guó)際(Euromonitor International)的數(shù)據(jù)，去年，北美人還花了6,300萬(wàn)美元購(gòu)買(mǎi)各類(lèi)家用清除耳垢產(chǎn)品，從滴耳液到灌耳工具包，不一而足。
On Internet health forums, people wax rhapsodic about the guilty pleasure of having their earwax removed — though some wonder if it's wrong to enjoy it so much.
在網(wǎng)絡(luò)健康論壇上，人們狂熱地討論著挖耳垢的罪惡快感──盡管有些人懷疑如此愛(ài)挖耳垢是否有問(wèn)題。
Others are unabashed. 'I absolutely love to have my ears cleaned, ' says Holly Kile, an online business manager from Indianapolis who says she uses cotton swabs daily and has her ears candled every couple of months, as does her 12-year-old son. 'It's generally a competition to see who has the grossest things come out, ' she says.
還有些人不以為然。印第安納波利斯(Indianapolis)的網(wǎng)絡(luò)商務(wù)經(jīng)理霍利•凱爾(Holly Kile)說(shuō)：“我很喜歡把耳朵掏干凈。”她說(shuō)，她每天用棉簽掏耳朵，每隔幾個(gè)月用耳燭吸一次耳垢，她12歲的兒子也是如此。她說(shuō)：“我們通常會(huì)比賽，看誰(shuí)掏出的耳垢最多。”
Doctors strongly discourage using cotton swabs or ear candling to remove earwax and say that unless it's causing bothersome symptoms, earwax should be left alone.
醫(yī)生們強(qiáng)烈反對(duì)用棉簽或耳燭清除耳垢，并稱除非耳垢導(dǎo)致不良癥狀，否則應(yīng)該不要去管它。
Officially known as cerumen, earwax is part of the ear's own cleaning system, designed to stop incoming dust, dirt, bacteria — even bugs — in the ear canal and ferry them out again. The wax and trapped debris are propelled along by the movements of the jaw, at about the same speed that fingernails grow. When it reaches the ear opening, the wax usually dries, flakes and falls out, often without the human host noticing.
耳垢的正式名稱是耵聹，它是耳朵自我清潔系統(tǒng)的一部分，目的是阻止進(jìn)入耳道的灰塵、污物、細(xì)菌──甚至是蟲(chóng)子──并把它們趕出去。耳垢和沉積的廢屑被活動(dòng)的下顎推動(dòng)，它的增長(zhǎng)速度和手指甲大致相同。當(dāng)耳垢到達(dá)耳道口時(shí)，通常會(huì)變干、變薄并掉出來(lái)，且通常不會(huì)被人類(lèi)注意到。
The process isn't always smooth. Having too much earwax, or wax that is too dry or too sticky, can create a buildup. Much of that is genetically determined. 'When it comes to earwax, choose your parents well, ' says Richard Rosenfeld, chair of otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.
這個(gè)過(guò)程并非總是一帆風(fēng)順。耳垢太多、太干或太黏都會(huì)導(dǎo)致耳垢堆積。這主要是由基因決定的。位于布魯克林(Brooklyn)的紐約州立大學(xué)下州醫(yī)學(xué)中心(SUNY Downstate Medical Center)的耳鼻喉科主任理查德•羅森菲爾德(Richard Rosenfeld)說(shuō)：“在耳垢這個(gè)問(wèn)題上，要選好父母。”
Wearing ear-bud headphones, hearing aids or ear plugs for long periods can also interfere with orderly extrusion.
長(zhǎng)期戴耳塞式耳機(jī)、助聽(tīng)器或耳塞都可能影響耳垢的規(guī)律性排出。
When excess earwax hardens or gets pushed back down the canal, it can become impacted, which afflicts approximately 10% of children, 5% of healthy adults and up to 57% of older patients in nursing homes, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.
當(dāng)多余的耳垢變硬或被擠回耳道下方時(shí)，可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致耳塞。根據(jù)美國(guó)耳鼻喉-頭頸外科學(xué)會(huì)(American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery)的數(shù)據(jù)，兒童的耳塞發(fā)病率約為10%，健康成人的耳塞發(fā)病率約為5%，而養(yǎng)老院中的老人耳塞發(fā)病率高達(dá)57%。
Symptoms of earwax buildup include a feeling of fullness, itching, vertigo, pain, tinnitus (a persistent ringing in the ears) or coughing — due to a nerve pathway that connects the ear with the diaphragm, explains Dr. Rosenfeld, who co-authored the American Academy of Otolaryngology's 2008 guidelines for treating earwax.
耳垢堆積的癥狀包括感到耳塞、耳癢、眩暈、耳疼、耳鳴（耳內(nèi)持續(xù)鳴響）或咳嗽──美國(guó)耳鼻喉學(xué)會(huì)2008年耳垢治療指南的作者之一羅森菲爾德博士解釋說(shuō)，這與連接耳朵和隔膜的神經(jīng)通路有關(guān)。
Excess earwax is also the most common cause of partial hearing loss — and the most treatable.
耳垢過(guò)多也是部分聽(tīng)力喪失的最常見(jiàn)原因──也是最好治療的。
'Those are the happiest patients of my day. You clean out their ears and they say, 'Oh my God, I can hear!', ' says Sarah Stackpole, an otolaryngologist (also known as an ear, nose and throat specialist) in New York City.
紐約的耳鼻喉科醫(yī)生薩拉•斯塔克波爾(Sarah Stackpole)說(shuō)：“他們是我一天中見(jiàn)到的最高興的病人。你為他們清除耳垢后，他們說(shuō)：‘哦，天哪，我能聽(tīng)見(jiàn)了！’”
Removing it at home is an option — if you can do it safely.
在家清除耳垢也是一種選擇──如果你手法安全的話。
That doesn't mean poking cotton swabs, bobby pins or any other implement into the ear to retrieve it, doctors implore. Putting anything into the ear canal risks piercing the eardrum. In fact, attempts to dig earwax out generally pack it in further — 'like loading a Civil War cannon, ' says Rod Moser, a physician assistant at Sutter Roseville Pediatrics, Roseville, Calif.
醫(yī)生勸告說(shuō)，這并不是說(shuō)可以用棉簽捅、用發(fā)夾或其他工具伸進(jìn)耳朵里挖。將任何東西伸入耳道都有令鼓膜穿孔的危險(xiǎn)。實(shí)際上，越想把耳垢挖出來(lái)，通常越會(huì)把它捅得更深──加利福尼亞州羅斯維爾(Roseville)Sutter Roseville Pediatrics的醫(yī)師助理羅德•莫澤(Rod Moser)說(shuō)：“就像為加農(nóng)炮裝彈一樣。”
'Do not go mining for it, ' adds Mr. Moser, who writes the Family Webicine blog for WebMD.
為WebMD撰寫(xiě)“家庭網(wǎng)絡(luò)醫(yī)藥”(Family Webicine)博客專欄的莫澤說(shuō)：“不要去挖它。”
That edict also includes imaginative ear-cleaning implements such as bamboo ear spoons and miniature Samurai swords. ('When you're going to war, you don't take just any old weapon — you take the baddest weapon you can find, ' boasts the Katana/Sword Ear Pick Cleaner, sold for $10 on Amazon.com.)
專業(yè)人士的建議還包括不要用富有想象力的工具，包括竹挖耳勺和微型武士刀。（《武士刀耳挖勺》(Katana/Sword Ear Pick Cleaner)稱：“當(dāng)你打仗時(shí)，不要拿舊武器──否則就是選擇了你能找到的最差的武器。”這本書(shū)在亞馬遜網(wǎng)站(Amazon.com)上有售，價(jià)格為10美元。）
Frequent cleaning can also strip the protective wax from the ear canal lining, leaving it exposed to moisture and vulnerable to the infection. 'Some people — and you know who you are — are literally addicted to Q-Tipping their ears after every shower, ' says Mr. Moser.
經(jīng)常挖耳垢可能會(huì)刮掉耳道內(nèi)的保護(hù)性耳垢，導(dǎo)致耳道暴露在潮氣中，容易感染。莫澤說(shuō)：“有些人──你知道你屬于哪種人──對(duì)每次淋浴后用棉簽掏耳朵上了癮。”
Instead, doctors recommend softening impacted earwax with a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil, commercial ear drops or hydrogen peroxide. Then allow the loosened wax to work its way out naturally.
醫(yī)生建議的是用幾滴礦物油、嬰兒油、市面上有售的那些滴耳液或雙氧水軟化硬耳垢，然后讓變軟的耳垢自行掉出。
If it still needs help, try gentle irrigation with a bulb syringe or tilt your head in the shower, say doctors. After a few minutes, straighten up and let the water run out again. 'Water works just as well as a $10 bottle of ear drops, ' says Dr. Rosenfeld. But doctors say high-pressure water streams, including repurposed jet-tooth cleaners, can be damaging.
醫(yī)生們說(shuō)，如果還不管用，就試著用洗耳球小心灌耳�；蛘咴诹茉r(shí)歪著頭，幾分鐘后，直起身讓水再次流出來(lái)。羅森菲爾德博士說(shuō)：“水和10美元一瓶的滴耳液一樣管用。”但醫(yī)生們表示，高壓水流，包括改造過(guò)的洗牙器，可能會(huì)造成傷害。
Over-the-counter 'ear vacs' are also generally ineffective. In a British study of 16 patients, published in Clinical Otolaryngology in 2005, none reported hearing better after using an ear vac. There was no improvement in visibility of the ear drum and in fact, no ear wax removed at all.
一位母親在清理兒子耳朵中的耳垢
Another problem with do-it-yourself earwax removal: It's hard to see what you're doing, unless you pop for a pricey product like the Coden Ear Scope TV ($150 to $300 on eBay), a lighted magnifying camera that relays images of your ear canal to a computer or TV screen.
藥店賣(mài)的“真空吸耳器”通常也沒(méi)有效果。2005年英國(guó)一項(xiàng)針對(duì)16名病人進(jìn)行的研究的論文發(fā)表在了《臨床耳鼻喉科學(xué)》(Clinical Otolaryngology)上，這些病人中，沒(méi)有人稱使用真空吸耳器后聽(tīng)力有好轉(zhuǎn)。鼓膜能見(jiàn)度也沒(méi)有改善。實(shí)際上，耳垢根本沒(méi)有被清除。
Doctors are particularly scornful of ear candling. 'I think it's the work of the devil, ' says Dr. Stackpole. The process uses a long, hollow cone-shaped candle. The patient lies down on one side, the bottom of the candle is placed in the ear and the other end is set ablaze, theoretically creating a vacuum inside that draws out the wax.
自己挖耳垢還有一個(gè)問(wèn)題：很難看到自己在做什么，除非你購(gòu)買(mǎi)了像Coden Ear Scope TV（eBay上售價(jià)為150美元至300美元）這樣昂貴的產(chǎn)品，它有一個(gè)發(fā)光的放大攝像頭，可以將耳道中的圖像傳輸?shù)诫娔X或電視屏幕上。
Many physicians — and the Food and Drug Administration — warn that it can drop hot wax into delicate ear tissues, cause burns or even set hair on fire. Doctors also say it doesn't work — that brown, gooey stuff inside the cone is candle wax, not earwax.
醫(yī)生們對(duì)耳燭尤其不屑一顧。斯塔克波爾博士說(shuō)：“我認(rèn)為那是魔鬼干的勾當(dāng)。”這種方法使用一根細(xì)長(zhǎng)中空的錐形蠟燭。病人側(cè)躺著，蠟燭底部放在耳朵上，并點(diǎn)燃另一端，這樣理論上可以在內(nèi)部產(chǎn)生真空，吸出耳垢。
If softening drops and irrigation don't work, it's time to seek professional help — from a nurse, physician's assistant, primary-care physician or ear, nose and throat specialist. Many rely on drops and irrigation, but some also use small suction devices and a wired loop instrument called a curette. Some ENTs also have microscopes that attach to the wall and give them a 3-D view into the canal.
許多醫(yī)生──以及美國(guó)食品和藥物管理局(Food and Drug Administration)──警告說(shuō)，這可能使熱蠟滴入嬌嫩的耳組織，導(dǎo)致灼傷，甚至點(diǎn)燃頭發(fā)。醫(yī)生們說(shuō)，這種方法不管用──錐管內(nèi)的棕色膠狀物是燭蠟，而不是耳垢。
Even trained specialists can get carried away when it comes to removing earwax, says Robert Folmer, an investigator at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research in Portland, Ore. He co-authored a 2004 survey in which 11 of 2, 400 patients at an Oregon hearing clinic said their tinnitus was caused by a professional earwax removal.
如果軟化滴耳液和灌耳不管用，那么是時(shí)候找專家?guī)兔α拴ぉた梢允亲o(hù)士、醫(yī)生助手、初級(jí)護(hù)理醫(yī)生甚或耳鼻喉科專家。許多人依靠滴耳液和灌耳，但有些人也使用小吸管或被稱作耳刮匙的鐵圈形工具。有些耳鼻喉科專家還使用附在耳壁上的顯微鏡，好看到耳道中的3D圖像。
Other studies have found that eardrum perforation, infection and hearing loss occur at a rate of about 1 per 1, 000 irrigations. 'Some doctors are really determined, but it isn't like it's a construction project, ' Dr. Folmer says. 'You've got to be gentle.' He suggests that patients ask a clinician what method they plan to use, and how many times they've done the procedure.
使用耳刮匙讓診療過(guò)程更像是“手術(shù)”，它有自己的診療標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，醫(yī)療費(fèi)用可高達(dá)100美元。只用水沖洗不能保證符合診療標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。許多藥店的坐堂醫(yī)生還提供60美元至80美元（根據(jù)方法而定）的清除耳垢服務(wù)。
Aside from earwax 'overproducers, ' who can benefit from a professional cleaning a few times a year, doctors say the average person should not require ear cleaning unless the wax is causing bothersome symptoms or impeding a doctors' ability to examine the eardrum. 'I'd tell the doctor, 'I really like my earwax. Leave it alone, please', ' says Dr. Rosenfeld.
俄勒岡州波特蘭(Portland)美國(guó)國(guó)家聽(tīng)力康復(fù)研究中心(National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research)的調(diào)研員羅伯特•福爾默(Robert Folmer)說(shuō)，即使是訓(xùn)練有素的專家在清除耳垢時(shí)也可能會(huì)失手。他在2004年參與了一項(xiàng)調(diào)查，調(diào)查對(duì)象是俄勒岡州一家聽(tīng)力診所的2,400名病人，其中11人稱，他們的耳鳴是專家在清除耳垢時(shí)導(dǎo)致的。
But some patients can't. Dr. Stackpole says she gives earwax-removal addicts an antibiotic cream to dab at the opening of their ears once a day. 'I do that rather than telling them to do nothing, because they are not capable of doing nothing, ' she says.
還有些研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，每1,000次灌耳中，大約會(huì)出現(xiàn)一次鼓膜穿孔、感染和聽(tīng)力喪失。福爾默博士說(shuō)：“有些醫(yī)生很自信，但這不是蓋房子。你必須手法輕柔。”他建議病人詢問(wèn)醫(yī)生他們計(jì)劃使用的方法，以及治療將進(jìn)行多少次。
