The ear is very delicate, both the skin of the external auditory canal and the eardrum. Therefore, it is very important to maintain good hygiene, but above all to know how to do it correctly. To begin with, we recommend not using cotton swabs.
Why does the body produce earwax?
Earwax is healthy in normal amounts, as it serves as a self-cleaning agent with antibacterial properties. Therefore, the absence of earwax can cause dry, itchy ears. The ear canals are self-cleaning, i.e. there is a slow and orderly migration of wax cells in the ears and skin from the eardrum to the ear cavity.
Wax does not form deep in the ear canal near the eardrum, but on the outside of one third of the ear canal. Therefore, when a patient has wax blockage against the eardrum, it is usually caused by the use of swabs, pins, or napkin corners. These objects only push the wax further in and collapse the canal.
When should the ears be cleaned?
In theory, the ear canals should not need to be cleaned. However, this is not always the case. It is recommended that the ears be cleaned when earwax accumulates enough to cause symptoms. This condition is earwax impaction and can cause one or more of the following symptoms:
- Ear pain, a feeling of fullness in the ear, or a sensation in the ear is plugged.
- Partial hearing loss, which may be progressive.
- Tinnitus, ringing or buzzing noises in the ear.
- Itching, odor, or discharge.
- Cough.
What is the recommended method for cleaning the ears?
First of all, the outer ear should be washed with a cloth, but without introducing anything into the ear canal. If earwax blockage is present, home treatments used to soften wax such as mineral oil drops, baby oil, glycerin or commercial ear drops can be used. Detergent drops such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide may also aid in wax removal.
Irrigation or ear syringing is also commonly used for cleaning and can be performed either at the doctor’s office or at home using a commercially available irrigation kit. The injection of the water or saline solution should be warmed to body temperature to avoid dizziness; caution is advised if you have diabetes, a perforated eardrum, tube in the eardrum, or a weakened immune system.
Manual removal of the wax is also effective. It is the option most commonly used by otolaryngologists, using suction from special miniature instruments, and a microscope to magnify the ear canal.
Why shouldn’t cotton swabs be used to clean earwax?
Earwax blockage is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. This is often caused by attempts to clean the ear with cotton swabs. Most cleaning attempts simply push the wax deeper into the ear canal, causing a blockage.
The ear canal is a shape similar to an hourglass-shaped part of the narrowing downward. The skin on the outside of the canal has special glands that produce earwax. This traps dust particles and dirt to prevent them from reaching the eardrum. Usually, the wax accumulates a little, dries out, and then falls out of the ear or may slowly migrate outward.