What Is an Ear Syringe?
An ear syringe is a syringe used for the ear.
A typical ear syringe consists of a hollow sphere and a spout, which is manually grasped and compressed like a syringe to expel liquid from the sphere, and released from the compressed state to aspirate liquid.
An ear syringe is made of flexible materials such as polyvinyl chloride or silicone that will not damage the ear cavity.
An ear syringe is a medical device and must be disposed of after use in accordance with the regulations of the medical institution or government.
Uses of Ear Syringes
Ear syringes are medical devices used primarily in otolaryngology to aspirate pus from the outer ear and to clean the ear by spurting cleaning fluid into the ear cavity.
Ear syringes are also used to aspirate nasal secretions, saliva, and pus from trauma sites in general, as well as to clean the nasal cavity.
Since ear syringes are generally available for purchase as well as in medical facilities, there have been cases of ear syringes being used at home for cleaning the ear cavity.
Characteristics of Ear Syringes
Ear syringes are medical devices made of polyvinyl chloride or silicone, and consist of a hollow sphere and a cone with a spout at the tip. Capacities of 60 ml are common, but 30 ml and 90 ml are also available.
Ear syringes are inserted directly into the ear or nasal cavity. For those who are allergic to polyvinyl chloride, ear syringes made of silicone are recommended.
When using ear syringes to aspirate pus, nasal discharge, saliva, etc., the conical portion is inserted into the ear or nasal cavity while the spherical portion is crushed by hand, the force applied to the spherical portion is gradually relaxed, and the fluid is aspirated by the restoring force of the spherical portion.
When cleaning the ear or nasal cavity with cleaning fluid, aspirate the cleaning fluid in the same manner as when aspirating liquid, then direct the jet toward the area to be cleaned and compress the spherical part by grasping it once again to clean the target area.
Ear syringes are shipped in a state of low-temperature sterilization called ethylene oxide gas (EOG) sterilization. Re-sterilization or reuse after use is prohibited.