VOA慢速英语 2008 1119a
时间：2019-01-11 作者：英语课 分类：VOA慢速英语2008年（十一）月
This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
Some people's ears produce wax like busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose.
Experts say it protects and cleans the ear. It traps dirt and other matter and keeps insects out. Doctors think it might also help protect against infections. And the waxy 1 oil keeps ears from getting too dry.
So earwax is good. It even has a medical name: cerumen. And there are two kinds. Most people of European or African ancestry 2 have the "wet" kind: thick and sticky. East Asians commonly have "dry" earwax.
But you can have too much of a good thing.
The glands 3 in the ear canal that produce the wax make too much in some people. Earwax is normally expelled; it falls out of the ear or gets washed away. But extra wax can harden and form a blockage 4 that interferes 5 with sound waves and reduces hearing.
People can also cause a blockage when they try to clean out their ears -- but only push the wax deeper inside. Earwax removal is sometimes necessary. But you have to use a safe method or you could do a lot of damage.
Experts at N.I.H., the National Institutes of Health, suggest some ways to treat excessive earwax yourself. They say the wax can be softened 6 with mineral oil, glycerin or ear drops. They say hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide may also help.
Another way to remove wax is known as irrigation. With the head upright, take hold of the outer part of the ear. Gently pull upward to straighten the ear canal. Use a syringe device to gently direct water against the wall of the ear canal. Then turn the head to the side to let the water out.
The experts at N.I.H. say you may have to repeat this process a few times. Use water that is body temperature. If the water is cooler or warmer, it could make you feel dizzy. Never try irrigation if the eardrum is broken. It could lead to infection and other problems.
After the earwax is gone, gently dry the ear. But if irrigation fails, the best thing to do is to go to a health care provider for professional assistance.
You should never put a cotton swab or other object into the ear canal. But you can use a swab or cloth to clean the outer part of the ear. The experts agree with the old saying that you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver 7. For more health news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.
- Choose small waxy potatoes for the salad.选些个头小、表皮光滑的土豆做色拉。
- The waxy oil keeps ears from getting too dry.这些蜡状耳油可以保持耳朵不会太干燥。
- Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
- He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。
- The logical treatment is to remove this blockage.合理的治疗方法就是清除堵塞物。
- If the blockage worked,they could retreat with dignity.如果封锁发生作用，他们可以体面地撤退。
- The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
- That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。
- His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
- The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。