How to Clean Your Ears

For the most part, our ears take care of themselves. However, we all have to deal with earwax every now and then. Sometimes, the body will actually produce too much earwax. This overproduction is the result of exposure to dirt or bacteria. As such, earwax is the barrier after all.

However, there are times where the ear can produce just a little too much of earwax! So, when that happens, you may feel like you need to clean your ears. Otherwise, you may experience some hearing loss due to the excessive earwax. So, how do you clean your ears the right way? Well, before we answer that question, here is a look at why you should not clean your ears normally.

Why you don’t need to clean your ears

First, you should know that cleaning the inside of your ears is unnecessary unless you have a lot of earwax. Your ears are designed to take care of themselves, so no need to overdo it. Earwax is versatile and performs several functions. For one, it keeps dust, dirt and bacteria from getting into your ears. It also keeps bacteria from growing and helps reduce the risk of attracting infections.

Since earwax offers so many benefits, why clean your ears at all? You only need to clean your ears when you have too much earwax. Too much earwax can actually indicate other problems like bacteria and cause hearing issues. Thus, without further ado, following are the methods you can use to clean your ears.

How to maintain your ears

Firstly, you should never clean your ears with a cotton swab. Cotton swabs can actually be dangerous when used inside the ear canal. The eardrum can be easily reached with a cotton swab and the eardrum is delicate. You can rupture your eardrum very easily just through the pressure that comes with sticking a cotton swab into your ear. If you’ve never had a punctured eardrum, you definitely do not want to find out what it feels like. The pain is intense and a punctured eardrum can also lead to hearing loss in the future.

The best way to clean your ears is to purchase a kit at your local pharmacy. These over-the-counter products usually include a blue irrigating bulb and a wax-softening solution. You use the kit with warm water, using the bulb to irrigate your ear and flush out any excess wax. You should never use cold water when cleaning. Cold water in the ear canal will cause dizziness and disorientation. You should also consult your doctor if you experience any pain because this could be a sign of a ruptured eardrum.

If you use a cleaning kit as described above and your ears still have that “full” feeling, talk to your doctor. You may need to pay a visit to your doctor’s office and have him or her perform the cleaning there to remove the excess wax.

Ultimately, when trying to clean your ears it’s best not to stick anything in the ear canal. The best way to clean your ears is to wash the outside with warm water or a washcloth. Try to let your earwax do what it is designed to do and let it self-clean your ear canal on its own.