Blog Post

Cleaning Your Ears

lemaster • Mar 22, 2018
wrong way to clean ears with q-tip
Put That Cotton Swab Down!

Let’s face it, digging into your ear with a cotton swab can make you feel downright clean and fresh. You see what comes out on the end of that swab and may think “Who wants that in their ears?”. The truth is that earwax is there for a reason and trying to manually remove it yourself can result in impacted ear wax, or worse.

What is the Point of Ear Wax?

First, let’s look at the purpose of ear wax. Earwax is produced by your body and helps trap dirt, bacteria, and debris. Your body is pretty good at naturally moving the ear wax out. Typically, you shouldn’t have any reason to go digging in after it with a foreign object. Talking, chewing, and other jaw movements will help move the earwax to the outer parts of the ear.

Dangers of Cleaning Your Own Ear Canal

A good rule of thumb is to never stick anything in your ear that is smaller than your elbow! Sticking foreign objects into your ear, no matter what your intentions, can have bad outcomes. Two of the most common risks associated with trying to clean one’s own inner ear are puncturing the eardrum and pushing was further into the ear canal, resulting in impacted earwax.

  • Impacted Earwax

    Although most people will never have any reason to clean their inner ears, there is that rare instance when someone will develop impacted ear wax. This is when the wax builds up and stays in the inner ear, instead of moving out naturally. If you have impacted ear wax, chances are you would know it. Common symptoms of impacted ear wax are ringing, aching, impaired hearing, and dizziness. There are a few different reasons why someone may be prone to developing impacted ear wax. The use of hearing devices or earplugs, as well as attempting to clean the inner ear with cotton swabs or other foreign objects are all known to push ear wax further into the ear canal. If you suspect that you may have impacted ear wax, DO NOT try to remove it yourself. An Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist will have the equipment and expertise to safely remove impacted ear wax.
  • Punctured Eardrum

    Your eardrum is one drum that you don’t want to bang on. The eardrum is a delicate membrane, and a cotton swab can easily puncture it. Puncturing an eardrum is painful, and it’s not worth risking it just to see a satisfying glob of wax on your cotton swab. Puncturing your eardrum can also result in something called conductive hearing loss. Aside from not being able to hear as well as you used to, conductive hearing loss can cause pain and pressure in the affected ear and result in a foul odor from within the ear canal.


The Safe Way to Clean Your Ears

So now that the inner ear is thoroughly ruled out, let’s talk about the outer ear. It’s quite simple. Your outer ear can and should be cleaned with a damp washcloth. That’s it! Simply moisten the cloth with some warm water and use it to wipe all areas of the outer ear. Avoid wringing any water into your ear canal, and never let the cloth go into the inner ear.

There should never be any reason for you to clean your own inner ear. If you do suspect a reason to have earwax removed, or if you believe you have caused damage by attempting to clean your inner ear, consult a professional ENT Specialist, like Dr. Erik Sloman-Moll in Laredo, TX. The friendly staff at Dr. Erick Sloman-Molls office would be happy to speak with you!

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