Human ear is an organ with detailed structure and the designer has taken care to protect it from damage. One such protection is secretion of ‘cerumen’ or Earwax. This yellowish, waxy substance assists in cleaning and lubrication, and also provides some protection from bacteria, fungi, insects and water. However, excess of most things is bad. One morning, engulfed in hangover of sleep, I pushed index finger in the right ear to scratch as I do quite often. The next moment, the ear blocked and air tight sensation took over. This didn’t perturb me much since my ears keep blocking now and then and keep un-blocking with same frequency within hours. So, I proceeded to office with that heavy feeling in the ear hoping it would be over by tea break. One day passed and blockage persisted. I tried whatever I could with my finger and hand but ear would not budge. I slapped it, poked it, hit it, poured water inside and used cotton buds more then my past year’s use but to no avail. Desperate for a solution, I searched on net and blew hot air from a hairdryer and in despair even used a vacuum cleaner to try and suck it out! It became worse when count crossed days. I accepted fate and started living on one ear, but became hard on hearing. I already suffer from congenital anosmia i.e. by birth, I can not smell. I was living on 3½ senses.
Finally, sense prevailed and I checked with an ENT specialist. He laid me on the stretcher and sucked out the wax from the depths and corners of my ears. As I rose to sit feeling dizzy, the doctor asked me: ‘does it feel better’. I had become so used to the blocked feeling that I could not tell for sure if it was open or not. Anyway, he treated me with tea and biscuits and there while talking, I realized that it was indeed open and back to normal. As I descended the rounded steel stairs of old, ghostly looking ENT ward of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, I felt an ease not explainable in words. I looked in heavens and thanked God.