We frequently feel the urge to clean our ears. More than a necessity, it is a habit. Many of us have developed the habit of using cotton swabs to clean our ears. These swabs are often always on our list of things to buy. From a psychological standpoint, we are accustomed to reaching for a swab whenever we experience an unpleasant sensation of wax or water buildup or itching in our ears.
However, otologists advise against putting anything inside your ears. They continue by saying that because the ears can self-clean, there is no need to remove the wax as well.
Problems
Despite being aware of these facts, people frequently use cotton swabs to clean because they feel emotional release. The cotton swabs have the potential to pierce our eardrums and damage our hearing. This will cause ear issues like infection, earwax impaction, and inner ear damage. The swabs function as ear canal plungers. They frequently force the earwax deeper into the ear and prevent it from being cleaned out. If you still decide to use a swab, pay attention to the length of insertion.
When delicate structures beyond the ear canal are harmed, the swabs can potentially result in a total hearing in severe circumstances.
Other adverse effects include persistent dizziness and nausea, a loss of taste, and even facial paralysis.
Doctors, therefore, advise irrigating the ear to soften the ear wax rather than using swabs.
Earwax
- Cerumen, also referred to as earwax, is a slightly acidic substance made by the body to protect against bacteria and fungi in the ear. It offers a waterproof barrier for the skin lining the ear canal due to its modest oiliness.
- The body has a built-in method of eliminating it. Despite this, even if more than 90% of your ears are blocked, you can still hear well because all sound needs to go through is a pinhole.
- The hearing may be hampered by excessive ear wax, which the ears may produce for any number of reasons. Your ears will feel blocked or stuffed, or they will feel full. When wax builds up, tinnitus, or a ringing sound in the ear, is also possible. an itching.
How to care for your ears?
With a swab, the eardrum can be easily reached and punctured despite its fragile nature. When the eardrum is damaged, you will feel extreme discomfort and occasionally even conductive hearing loss.
But you can use a washcloth and some soapy water to clean your pinna or outer ear. As ear wax tends to become looser when water enters the ears during a hair wash or shower, it is not necessary to regularly clean the ear canal with a swab. Additionally, when the skin around the ears grows, it sheds off along with the earwax.
Seeing a physician
- Unless the wax has solidified, there is no need to visit a doctor to have your ears cleaned. Instead, go see an otologist if you develop fever, tinnitus, drainage of blood or pus, or earache.
- The best course of action will be decided by the doctor after using an otoscope to look within the ear.
- Avoid using toys, cotton swabs, hairpins, tweezers, pens, pencils, or other household items to do your own cleaning.
- Never assume that earwax is anything unclean. In its natural cleansing motion from the inner to the outer ear, it gathers dirt and dead skin cells. The common wax has antibacterial and antifungal effects. When using a swab, never attempt the cleanup procedure unless