Removing Earwax Safely

It’s not necessary to clean the earwax from your ears every day or even every week. You should only clear out the wax when there is an excessive amount built up. Some of the signs of earwax build-up are feeling like your ears are clogged, unable to hear as well, noises in your ear that are uncomfortable, and a persistent earache. Too much earwax in the ear can cause slow but progressive hearing loss.

Earwax is also called cerumen. In small amounts, earwax actually acts as a temporary water repellent for the ear canal. Earwax also helps maintain PH balance in your ear, which helps prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi, causing ear infections. It also traps dust and dirt, preventing it from affecting our sensitive eardrums.

Most of the time the ear clears itself of old earwax by pushing it out toward the outer ear where it dries out and then flakes out. Even though the ear does attempt to clear itself, there are times when we are bothered by excessive wax. So how do we remove the wax safely?

First of all, clean the visible areas of the ear and outer canal with cotton swabs dipped in mineral oil or baby oil, this can be done daily for about a week. If you are still having problems, the ear can be flushed out with warm water and hydrogen peroxide, wiping the ear off with a soft cloth afterwards. If you continue to have problems, you will want to go to the doctor and let them do a professional ear wash.

Never use a cotton swab in the ear canal of a baby because they can be unpredictable and accidentally cause injury to the inner ear or eardrum with a sudden movement.


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