If you’re like many people who grew up with well-meaning parents, rubbing out the inside of your ears with Q-tips may be part of your daily hygiene routine. There’s something satisfying about that glob of wax that comes out on the Q-tip that makes you feel like you’re really keeping yourself healthy.
Unfortunately, all the research available today indicates that cleaning your own ears is actually a big health no-no.
What Happens When You Clean Your Ears
When you stick that tiny little cotton swab into your ear, you may think that you are scrubbing the ear wax out of your ears. Really, all you’re doing is pushing ear wax (also known as cerumen) back further into your ear. When it gets that far back, it’s harder for the ears to do what they do naturally: clean ear wax out.
Ear wax is there for a reason. It protects the inside of your ears from water, essentially waterproofing them. With the wax gone, your ears are prone to infection.
Rubbing the inside of your ears sets off a cycle. It triggers the release of histamines, making your skin itchy and swollen. When you feel this, you think you need to keep cleaning your ears to get some relief. Really, all you’re doing is further irritating your ear and pushing wax further back into the canal.
What You Should Do Instead
Common folk wisdom says “Don’t put anything inside your ear that’s smaller than your elbow.” Of course, this means that you shouldn’t put anything in your ear. Instead, just let your ears do their job. As ear wax dries out and stops lubricating the ear, the ear should naturally work the wax out. Once you have broken the cycle of wax removal, your ears should feel more comfortable and less irritated.
Though the ears are supposed to remove wax on their own, this doesn’t always happen the way it should. If you have thicker-than-normal wax or your ears simply don’t work as efficiently as they ought, you may indeed have a problem with wax buildup.
If you have wax buildup, it’s best to see a doctor and find out what the next step is. In many cases, they do a quick in-office procedure to blast out impacted ear wax and clean out your ears. They may then want you to do a regular cleaning routine. This may involve using a mixture of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and water in your ears. However, only do this under the instruction of a doctor, as you don’t want to dry out the ears or get rid of your natural wax supply.
Next time your ears are feeling a little full or you’re tempted to reach for a cotton swab, resist the urge! Remember all that wax does for your ears and let it do its work. Contact a doctor if ear wax is causing real issues with your hearing or balance.
