VOA慢速英语2011--Ear Care: Do-It-Yourself Wax Removal

Health Report - Ear Care: Do-It-Yourself Wax Removal

健康报道 - 保持耳朵清洁

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

Some people's ears produce wax like busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose.

一些人的耳朵像勤劳的小蜜蜂一样不断地分泌蜡质物(耳垢)。这可能是个问题，虽然耳垢似乎起着非常重要的作用。

It protects and cleans the ear. It traps dirt and other matter, and it keeps insects out. Doctors think earwax might also help protect against infections. And the waxy¹ oil keeps ears from getting too dry.

耳垢可以保护并清洁耳道，它可以黏附灰尘，异物，防止昆虫进入耳内。医生认为耳垢可能还有助于防止感染。此外，这种蜡质油脂还可以防止耳内过于干燥。

So earwax is good. It even has a medical name: cerumen. And there are two kinds. Most people of European or African ancestry² have the "wet" kind: thick and sticky. East Asians commonly have "dry" earwax.

所以，耳垢是有益的，它甚至还有一个医学名称：耵聍。耳垢分两种类型。大部分欧洲人和非洲人都是“湿润型耳垢”，又厚又粘。而东亚人是“干燥型”耳垢。

But you can have too much of a good thing.

但物极必反。

The glands³ 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 blockage⁴ that interferes⁵ with soundwaves and reduces hearing.

一些人耳道中的皮脂腺会分泌过多的耳垢。一般情况下耳垢会从耳内脱落并自然排出。但是过多的耳垢可能会凝固阻塞耳道，干扰声波导致听力下降。

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.

人们还可能人为阻塞耳道。当人们清理耳道时，反将耳垢推入更深的耳道。清除耳垢有时是必要的，但必须使用安全的方法，否则可能会对耳朵造成很大的伤害。

Experts at the National Institutes of Health, NIH, suggest some ways to treat excessive earwax yourself. The wax can be softened⁶ with mineral oil, glycerin or ear drops. Hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide may also help.

美国国立卫生研究院的专家提出了几点自行清除过多耳垢的建议。耳垢可以被矿物油，甘油或滴耳液软化，过氧化氢(双氧水)或过氧化脲可能也有帮助。

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.

另一种去除耳垢的方法被称为“灌洗法”。保持头部竖直，抓住耳朵的外部，轻轻向上拉耳朵以保持耳道平直，用注射器将水沿着耳壁轻柔地注入。然后，把头偏向一侧让水流出。

The experts at NIH 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.

美国国立卫生研究院的专家表示，这个过程可能需要重复数次。使用温度接近体温的水，如果水过冷或过热，会使人感到眩晕。如果耳膜损伤切勿使用这种方法，否则可能会导致感染和其它问题。

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.

耳垢清除后，轻轻地将耳部擦干。如果“灌洗法”无效，最好去医护部门寻求专业帮助。

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. Experts agree with the old saying that you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.

千万不要把棉签或其他东西放进耳道里，但是可以使用棉签或软布来清洁耳朵外部。专家们同意那句老话，永远不要把比你的手肘更小的东西放进耳朵。

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver⁷. For more health news, go to voanews.cn. I'm Christopher Cruise.

1 waxy   

adj.苍白的；光滑的

参考例句：

• 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。

2 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• 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。

3 glands   

n.腺( gland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a snake's poison glands 蛇的毒腺
• the sebaceous glands in the skin 皮脂腺

4 blockage   

n.障碍物；封锁

参考例句：

• 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。

5 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• 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。

6 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• 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。

7 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。