Best And Safe Ways To Clean Your Ears

Oftentimes, the ears get a buildup of earwax and people are often looking for ways to get rid of that earwax. However, before knowing the different and safe methods that one can use in order to remove the excess, it is important to know what actually is earwax and what is it doing inside our ears?

Ear wax, originally called Cerumen, is created inside the ear and that too for various reasons. Its job is to absorb all bacteria, dirt, and debris, and stop the entrance of infection-causing organisms inside the ear. Moreover, due to its lubrication properties, earwax also prevents dryness of the ears and stops them from getting itchy. Lastly, earwax also helps in fighting infections both inside and around the ears, due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Listed below are a couple of factors that you should take into consideration if you have any doubts regarding earwax.

Often Times A Person’s Ear Cleans By Itself

Generally, through natural movements of the jaw, like chewing and talking, the earwax travels outside the ears. Therefore, it is not necessary that people need to get their ears cleaned, besides their regular bathing routine. Once you have showered, simply use a washcloth or a towel and wipe away any wax or excess water from the outer ear.

Cleaning The Ears With Cotton Swabs Is A Bad Idea

Contrary to popular belief, using cotton swabs or q-tips to remove earwax does more harm than good and should be avoided at all costs. Using these items actually results in further pushing the earwax way inside the ears. This causes an impaction, plus not letting the eardrum vibrate properly. Individuals who use these cotton swabs in order to clean the ears generally end up worsening the earwax situation, instead of making it better. This impaction could result in much bigger issues. Even the brands of these cotton swabs and q-tips have specifically mentioned it on their packaging not to insert these items inside their ear canals.

Earwax Does Get Accumulated And Needs To Be Removed

For some people, the standard cleaning methods do not work. This is because each of us has uniquely shaped ears. Hence, this results in the accumulation of excess earwax. There are symptoms that indicate that a person has excess earwax in their ears. For instance, they might hear ringing inside the ears or have a feeling of fullness inside their ears. Plus, they might have difficulty in their hearing or experience some sort of pain in their ears. Additionally, they could also feel dizzy or have a certain odor or smell coming from inside their ear. 

Furthermore, individuals with hearing aids are more prone to the buildup of earwax, since constantly wearing a device could stop the earwax from traveling out of the ears naturally. Plus, older adults usually experience earwax buildup inside their ears due to the earwax’s consistency changing overtime as their age increases. 

The Proper Way To Remove Excess Ear wax

If you believe that you are suffering from excess earwax, then the best and safest solution is to pay your hearing professional or your doctor a visit. They can properly examine your ear and inspect the earwax in order to decide if they need to remove it or not. If needed to be removed, the doctor can use a curette, suction, or water irrigation to take out the earwax. The doctor might suggest a visit either after six months or once a year in order to avoid further buildup of earwax.

Safe Cleaning Methods You Can Use At Home To Remove The Earwax From The Ears

There are numerous safe methods if you wish to manually remove your earwax from the comfort of your own home. There are many over-the-counter ear drops that are sold in pharmacies and a few retail stores. These drops help in softening the earwax for easy removal. For instance, Starkey’s Ear Wax Removal Kit and their Natural Ear Wax Removal Drops help in cleaning the ears and providing relief by softening the earwax, respectively. Moreover, baby oil and mineral oil also helps in softening the earwax.

Conclusion

It is always best to consult your doctor or your hearing professional when it comes to earwax. Furthermore, people with certain conditions, such as, people with diabetes, people who can easily get ear infections, people who’ve tubes, people with weak immune systems, or people with a hole in their eardrum need to be extra cautious and are advised to consult a professional prior to trying these at-home treatments.