Cerumen obturans is the medical term for earwax. It is mainly used when the ear canal is blocked with earwax, which can cause sudden hearing problems and ringing in the ears.
Special perspiratory glands inside the ear canal cause earwax. Its purpose is usually to wet and to clean the ear canal. Overproduction or improper cleaning, e.g. with cotton swabs, can cause the earwax to gather in front of the eardrum where it may dry out and block the ear canal.
A sudden hearing impairment of one ear is the main symptom for cerumen obturans. The hearing impairment often occurs after the ear canal has been in contact with water, because dried earwax soaks with water, expands and therefore closes the ear canal completely. Another common symptom is ringing in the ears (tinnitus). This can also be caused by earwax closing the outer ear canal.
Descriptions of the symptoms lead the doctor to an assumption that will be verified by an endoscopy of the ear canal. The earwax will then be removed from the ear canal. There are various ways to remove it, such as suction, rinsing with warm water or usage of hydrogen peroxide. To prevent the build-up of earwax into an impaction it’s suggested to avoid cleaning the ears with cotton swabs, but to rinse it regularly. This is preferred to be done by a doctor, because the eardrum and middle ear may become damaged if removal is not professionally executed.
Several years of work in academia, medical practice and finally commercialization make it possible to provide an end-to-end process to help users to “find the appropriate medical help based on their present symptoms”. Below you will find a short explanation, showing you which part of the platform will help you best in finding the appropriate medical support.
Proceed as follows to enter your current symptoms.
Click on the appropriate body part on the picture. Select one/multiple symptoms corresponding to your complaint.
You can also add symptoms by typing your medical complaint in the search box and selecting the best matching suggestion.
Note: Your information will be kept anonymously.
Once you have selected all applicable symptoms, click the “analyze disease pattern”-button.
Accordingly, you will get a list of possible diseases and matching doctor categories who can further help you.
You can inform yourself about the possible diseases by reading the related information. But you can also return to the previous step and add more symptoms or delete already added ones to further narrow down your disease pattern.
Click on the desired doctor category to find a doctor who can help you.
If you are logged in with your profile, you will be displayed the appropriate doctors in your area. Otherwise you can enter an address in the “address” field and you will be displayed a doctor’s list around that specified address.
You will receive further information about the displayed doctors when you press on “details”.
Online bookable doctors in your area will be indicated with the notation “Book appointment” or “Book externally”, additionally they will be displayed on top of the list for your convenience.
Click on “Book appointment” to start the online appointment booking process with the desired doctor.
Please select an available appointment. “Green“ appointments are booked directly. “Red“ appointments need to be confirmed by the doctor.
Enter your general personal and health information.
Enter your present medical symptoms.
Enter your mobile phone number to identify yourself and you can finalize the appointment booking.
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