We are often tempted to clean our ears. It is more a habit than a need. Many of us are habituated to cleaning our ears with a cotton swab. Most of the time, these swabs are always part of our shopping list. Psychologically, we are used to reaching out for a swab whenever we have an uneasy feeling of the build-up of wax or water or an itch in our ears.
But otologists say that it is not good to put anything inside your ears. There is no need to remove the wax too as the ears are capable of self-cleaning, they add.
Problems
Despite knowing these facts, people tend to clean with cotton swabs as they feel psychological relief. The cotton swabs can puncture our eardrums and cause hearing loss. This will result in the ear problems like earwax impaction, injury to the inner ear, and infection. The swabs act as plungers in the ear canal. They tend to push the earwax deeper and do not allow it to be swept out of the ear. If you still feel that you want to use a swab, be careful about the length of insertion.
In severe cases, the swabs can also cause complete deafness when sensitive structures behind the ear canal are damaged.
Prolonged vertigo with nausea, loss of taste, and even facial paralysis are some of the other side effects.
Therefore, doctors instead of swabs recommend softening the ear wax by irrigating the ear with warm water and then draining it.
Earwax
Earwax, called cerumen, is a slightly acidic substance produced in the body to fight bacteria and fungus in the ear. As it is slightly oily, it provides a waterproof barrier for the skin lining the ear canal.
The body has a natural way of sweeping it out. Despite this, if your ears are blocked more than 90%, you can still hear well as we need just a pinhole for sound to travel and transmit.
For some reason or other, the ears might produce a lot of wax and it might impair hearing. You will have a feeling of fullness in your ears or feel it is plugged. Tinnitus or a ringing sound in the ear is also possible when wax accumulates. Itching or a foul smell from the ears is some of the other symptoms of cerumen impaction.
Getting rid of wax
Using a swab is not a good idea to clear the ears and get rid of the above-mentioned symptoms. It is always better to approach an ENT doctor who will use an ear lavage to flush out the wax with an ear lavage.
A natural way by which the ear gets rid of the wax in the ear canal is when you chew. As the jaw moves, the action will push the earwax out of the canal. This is easy because the wax is formed in the outer area and not deep inside the ear canal.
So, when you try to clean the ears with a swab, you will end up pushing the wax deeper inside the canal and it will create a blockage. The swabs can cause infection, rupture of the eardrum, and also significant hearing loss.
Foreign body
At times, the tip of the swab might come off and lodge itself in the inner ear. Fullness, pain, and discomfort will set in immediately and the result will be hearing loss.
What do you do then? Instead of taking an over-the-counter pill, head straight to an otologist and heal the injury.
How to clean the ears
The eardrum is a delicate structure and can be easily reached and ruptured with a swab. The moment you damage the eardrum, you will experience excruciating pain and at times even conductive hearing loss.
But you can clean your pinna or outer ear with a little soapy water and a washcloth. Meanwhile, ear wax in the ear canal does not need to be cleaned with a swab often, as it tends to get loosened when water enters the ears during a hair wash or a shower. Also, as the skin in the ears grows, it is sloughed off and so is the ear wax.
Seeing a doctor
There is no need to approach a healthcare provider for cleaning the ears unless there is the solidification of wax. Instead, visit an otologist once you experience ear pain, draining of blood or pus, tinnitus, dizziness, or fever.
The physician will look inside the ear with an otoscope and determine the best course of action.
Avoid the do-it-yourself cleaning with objects like cotton swabs, hair pins, tweezers, pens and pencils, straws, or toys.
Never think that the earwax is something dirty. It is a natural cleanser that picks up dead skin cells and dirt when it moves from the inner to the outer ear. The humble wax boasts antifungal and antibacterial properties. Never try the clean-up act, especially with a swab, unless you experience pain or discomfort.