Ear wax It has its function and we must not strive to clean the baby's ears to remove any trace of wax. This acts as a shield so that certain particles do not pass into the ear, protecting it from infections that could damage it.
However, sometimes wax plugging occurs in the ears, and in summer they increase, when the little ones spend more time in the water, so we will have to be attentive to the signs that the child shows.
Wax plugs usually occur because the natural mechanism of ear cleaning has been altered. In summer, they are more frequent because the wax accumulated in the ear absorbs in sea or pool water and swells, causing the formation of a plug.
This happens more often if the child spends a lot of time in the water, not allowing time for the ear to dry (which can also cause otitis). In any case, neither in winter nor in summer, we must manipulate the wax of children's ears.
Remember that cotton buds are completely discouraged and that, in fact, the best way to clean the baby's ears is with the elbow, that is, in no special way. The cleaning must be superficial, of the auricular pavilion, never delve inside the ear. We will clean the wax when it looks into the ear.
Also in summer wax plugs increase due to improper use of earplugs, since if the kids have healthy ears, their use would be inappropriate: the ear-tight plugs could introduce wax more towards the inner ear , causing an accumulation and plugging.
If the child these summer days, after many times in the sea or the pool, shows pain or itching or notes that he has lost hearing, go to the pediatrician, as it may be a wax plug or an infection. In the case of plugs, specialists perform a quick, safe and painless extraction, which we cannot try at home. Infections or "swimmer's otitis" need specific treatment.
