The Mercado - Rizal Family

The Rizals is considered one of the biggest families during their time. Domingo Lam-co, the family's paternal ascendant was a full-blooded Chinese who came to the Philippines from Amoy, China in the closing years of the 17th century and married a Chinese half-breed by the name of Ines de la Rosa. Researchers revealed that the Mercado-Rizal family had also traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay and Even Negrito blood aside from Chinese. Jose Rizal came from a 13-member family consisting of his parents, Francisco Mercado II and Teodora Alonso Realonda, and nine sisters and one brother. FRANCISCO MERCADO (1818-1898) Father of Jose Rizal who was the youngest of 13 offsprings of Juan and Cirila Mercado. Born in Bian, Laguna on April 18, 1818; studied in San Jose College, Manila; and died in Manila. TEODORA ALONSO (1827-1913) Mother of Jose Rizal who was the second child of Lorenzo Alonso and Brijida de Quintos. She studied at the Colegio de Santa Rosa. She was a business-minded woman, courteous, religious, hard-working and well-read. She was born in Santa Cruz, Manila on November 14, 1827 and died in 1913 in Manila. SATURNINA RIZAL (1850-1913) Eldest child of the Rizal-Alonzo marriage. Married Manuel Timoteo Hidalgo of Tanauan, Batangas. PACIANO RIZAL (1851-1930) Only brother of Jose Rizal and the second child. Studied at San Jose College in Manila; became a farmer and later a general of the Philippine Revolution. NARCISA RIZAL (1852-1939) The third child. married Antonio Lopez at Morong, Rizal; a teacher and musician. OLYMPIA RIZAL (1855-1887) The fourth child. Married Silvestre Ubaldo; died in 1887 from childbirth. LUCIA RIZAL (1857-1919) The fifth child. Married Matriano Herbosa. MARIA RIZAL (1859-1945) The sixth child. Married Daniel Faustino Cruz of Bian, Laguna. JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896) The second son and the seventh child. He was executed by the Spaniards on December 30,1896. CONCEPCION RIZAL (1862-1865) The eight child. Died at the age of three. JOSEFA RIZAL (1865-1945) The ninth child. An epileptic, died a spinster. TRINIDAD RIZAL (1868-1951) The tenth child. Died a spinster and the last of the family to die. SOLEDAD RIZAL (1870-1929) The youngest child married Pantaleon Quintero.

Ear wax, also known as cerumen, is the result of mixing skins cells of the outer ear canal with glandular secretions that protect the ear against infections by cleaning and trapping dirt in the ear canal.The amount of ear wax produced varies by individual.Some individuals produce very little wax; others overproduce ear wax to the point that blockage may occur. Cerumen normally works itself out of the ear; however, there are situations when ear was begins to plug up the outer ear canal.When ear wax blocks the ear canal so that it begins to cause problems, it results in impacted ear wax, or cerumen impaction.

Impacted ear wax is a common phenomenon.Approximately 2 to 6% of the general United States population has this condition.It is most likely caused when an individual cleans the outer ear with a cotton-tipped applicator such as a Q-tip, which ends up pushing the wax down so much that it plugs the outer ear canal.This condition is also prevalent among the population who wear hearing aids.Individuals who have impacted ear wax often complain about symptoms of hearing loss, pain in the ear, a ringing in the ear (called tinnitus), cough, vertigo, or itching of the ear.Cerumen accumulation can occur if there is an overproduction of ear wax in response to infections or loud noises. An individual with an abnormally shaped ear canal may also encounter ear wax build-up. Normally, ear wax is removed by cleansing the ear.This is accomplished wrapping a wet washcloth around the finger and washing around the outer ear.In the case of cerumen impaction, the ear wax may have to be softened using an oil-based agent, such as baby oil or olive oil.A couple of drops of oil is poured into the ear, left for a few minutes to soften the wax, and cleaned out using a wet washcloth.Over the counter cerumen-removing agents such as Debrox and Murine Ear Drops may also be used in lieu of oil-based agents to loosen the wax.Another low-cost method of removing ear wax involves using a 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution.Cerumenex may be prescribed by a medical specialist to soften the wax; however, these prescription ear drops may cause irritation to the ear and result in possible allergic reactions. If cerumen is not successfully removed, it may be necessary to seek the medical attention of a specialist.Several procedures are utilized by specialists.Most likely, the specialist will use outer ear irrigation methods.This procedure will first attempt to soften the ear wax by applying drops to the ear canal, followed by irrigation using a syringe.During the syringing process, a syringe is attached to a catheter and filled with water.The water flushes the ear, removing the ear wax.Antibiotic ear drops may be added during this cycle, or given as drops to the individual following the procedure. Although irrigation techniques will remove impacted ear wax for a majority of individuals, certain conditions may exist that prevent or discourage the use of this technique.If an individual has had prior ear surgery, issues with the outer ear or perforation of the ear drum, inflammation, or an infection, the individual may be referred to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor.The ENT specialist will most likely use a curette or a vacuum device to remove the impacted cerumen. The best way to prevent impacted ear wax is to avoid using Q-tips and other foreign objects while cleaning the outer ear.The hearing aid-wearing population should routinely have their ears checked to avoid impacted ear wax.The ear is a delicate instrument; auditory hair cells control the transmission of auditory signals to other areas of the ear. Not only can the foreign objects push the wax further into the ear to plug up the canal, but it can harm these hair cells, perhaps resulting in permanent hearing loss.

Impacted cerumen is another name for impacted earwax, cerumen being another name for earwax. Cerumen or earwax protects the ear from various bacterial infections, helps in cleaning and lubrication and also protects the sensitive skin of the ear canal. Excess production of earwax is a condition referred to as cerumen impaction which can cause many hearing problems as well can create an unwanted pressure against the eardrum causing a lot of pain. Earwax is produced when there is a mixture of shed layers of skin along with natural dust particles in the air and secretions from the glands present inside the ear. The production of earwax depends upon person to person. Now that you

have an idea of what is impacted cerumen, we shall now discuss the symptoms of impacted cerumen. Impacted Cerumen Symptoms Speaking of the United States, 2-6% of people suffer from impacted cerumen. Studies have shown that fear, stress and anxiety increases the production of cerumen. Another reason is cleaning earwax with a Q-tip applicator which ends up pushing the cerumen deep till in the ear plugging out the outer ear canal. Impacted cerumen is also visible in people with hearing aid. Mentioned below are the excessive earwax symptoms or impacted cerumen.

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Hearing Loss: The first and foremost symptom for impacted cerumen is loss of hearing or hearing impairment. The excess cerumen blocks the sound passage in the ears thereby causing this symptom. Pain in the Ear: People suffering from impacted cerumen also seem to experience pain in the ears which is caused due to accumulation and plugging of the earwax near the ear canal. Tinnitus: Tinnitus refers to a condition wherein people experience an unusual ringing in the ear, making it one of the symptoms of impacted cerumen. Itchiness in the Ear: Another symptom is constant itchiness in the ear, at times there might also be a liquid secretion. Constant itchiness along with pain when scratched makes the experience very difficult to deal with. Vertigo: Vertigo is the sensation when you get this feeling of being in motion when actually your body is still. Cough: Coughing is another symptom of impacted cerumen, usually caused due to the itchiness and the pain.

Now that we know the symptoms of impacted cerumen, let us now discuss the removal and treatment of impacted cerumen. Impacted Cerumen Removal When it comes to the removal of impacted earwax, the process is quite simple and effective. Firstly, the cerumen is softened with the help of oil-based agents like baby oil or olive oil, a few drops of which are poured to the ears and left for a few minutes, allowing the hardened ear cerumen to soften a little bit. This makes the earwax removal much more easy and comfortable. After the oil based agents have done their work, the earwax is cleaned out using a wet wash cloth and wrapping it around the finger. There are many other solutions which can be used to soften the earwax like Debrox, Murine ear drops, 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution, Cerumenex etc, but use them only when prescribed by medical specialist if you don't want to deal with possible allergic reactions. Impacted Cerumen Treatment Although the aforementioned impacted earwax removal technique proves beneficial in most of the cases, however, if this method fails to be of help then medical assistance is the next option. The treatment for impacted cerumen includes various methods discussed as follows.

Syringing: This is the most popular method for treating impacted cerumen and removing the wax from the ear. Once the accumulated earwax has been softened using an earwax removal solution, syringing enables the wax removal by irrigation. The irrigation solution is kept the same as the body temperature and a syringe is used to slowly and gently stream the water into the ear. The solution flows out through the ear canal taking out the cerumen and other debris along. Vacuuming: Vacuuming is another technique to treat impacted cerumen which is most effective when done by professionals only. Although there are a lot of home-vacuum kits available in the market, they haven't proved to be of much help, therefore, making this technique most effective when done by a professional. Curettage: Cerumen can also be removed with a curette which is another name for a ear pick. This technique works best when in the hands of health professionals. A modified curette

is used to dislodge the cerumen and scoop it out. Unlike cotton swabs which push the wax much more deeper into the ear canal, the currete comes with a safety stop to make sure that it is not inserted way too deep. Cerumenolysis: Cerumenolysis is a process of removing and treating the condition of impacted cerumen, using a solution known as cerumenolytic agent. This solution is put inside the ear canal enabling the plugged wax to come out on its own. If it fails to come out on its own, then methods like syringing and curettage is used. Ear Candling: The method of ear candling, although is used to earwax removal, but isn't appreciated or supported by medical practitioners. Under this method, one end of a hollow candle is lighted while the other end is placed in the ear canal. Medical researchers claim this method to be both dangerous and ineffective.

I hope this article on impacted cerumen helped you know about the causes of this condition, what this condition is all about and the various treatments and removal methods adopted to cure it. To conclude, all I would say is that ears are the doorways to the various sounds in this world. Take care of them as they perceive what is said and help you hear and live among the beautiful sounds in this world. Take care.

By Shalu Bhatti Last Updated: 9/28/2011