Cleaning the ear wax out of your ear is something that many people consider a healthy hygiene practice. Not everybody’s ears produce a large amount of ear wax. If you find that yours are producing more than you think is normal, it might be tempting to take care of that problem on your own. There are several ways that people try to extract ear wax from their ears. ENT Specialists is here to talk about some of the ways people try to remove ear wax, and whether it is safe for your ears.
I think it is safe to say that most if not all of us have used a Q-Tip to remove the wax out of our ears at one point or another. There are several things wrong with this though. Your ear canals are covered in small hairs that naturally move ear wax up and out of the ear. When you shove a Q-Tip down your ear canal, it is doing the opposite of what you are wanting it to. It pushes the wax deeper into your ear and packs it in there tight. When the wax is pushed in your ear like that, it will not be able to work its way out naturally like it is supposed to and could end up causing problems for you. When more wax is built up in your ear than is necessary, bacteria growth can happen and ear infections are a result. Q-Tips should only be used for the outer ear, to remove any ear wax that has already made its way out of the ear.
Ear candles are another tool that people use to remove wax from their ears. The question is, do they work? They are a long, hollow candle that is inserted into the ear. Once it is in the ear, you light the other end with fire. The idea is, the heat produced from the candle softens the ear wax and works it out of the ear and into the bottom of the candle. The FDA has officially stated that the use of ear candles is dangerous and should in no way be used to remove any wax from your ears!
There are several ways that are safe and effective in cleaning the wax from your ears.
1. Hydrogen Peroxide– You can mix hydrogen peroxide with some warm water in equal parts to loosen ear wax from your ear. This shouldn’t be done for more than a day or two at a time, since it can dry out and irritate your ear, causing infection.
2. Mineral Oil– A few drops of this oil in your ears will help loosen stubborn wax and help it work its way out of the ear. Since ear wax is fairly oily, this is a safe way to remove wax without causing irritation.
3. Professional Ear Syringing– This is done by a primary care physician and is incredibly effective in removing ear wax that you are unable to remove at home with mineral oil and peroxide.
Whenever you are trying to remove ear wax from your ears, you want to make sure you are doing so safely. Using unsafe methods can cause permanent damage to your ears. ENT Specialists can assist you with any issues you seem to be having with your ears, nose or throat. Call for an appointment today.
