Have you experienced sudden deafness? We are not talking about the deafness you experience due to air pressure on a mountain top or at the bottom of the sea, we are talking about ear wax that has built up over a long period of time. At some point or the other, as we grow older, we encounter this form of partial deafness, which ends up worrying us tremendously. We take you through the details of ear blockage and what you need to know.

First of all, you need to understand that ear wax is a protective lining; it protects your ear from dust, bacteria and other foreign particles from entering. It protects the skin in the ear canal from water. Ear wax is meant to make its way to the opening and seeps out or you can wash it off.

But sometimes ear wax hardens and blocks the ear. It is a common reason for ear blockage, but you can blame it on one more reason, that is when you clean your ear, there are chances you may push ear wax to the back of the ear canal blocking your ear.

How do you recognise ear blockage: The obvious hint would be that you feel like your ear is plugged. It is going to hurt, sometimes you can hear noises and lastly, if the condition is really bad, partial hearing loss is the end result.

But if matters get worse, such as persistent hearing loss, severe pain and fever you need to visit an ENT doctor.

Treatment: Ear blockage can be treated at home; you need baby oil, glycerin or mineral oil to soften the wax. Another method is a little dicey, it is called irrigation. But you have to make sure you don’t have a ruptured eardrum. We strongly recommend that you consult a doctor if you feel that there's an ear wax build up in your ear.

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