Are you someone who likes to regularly clean your ears? You may find it satisfying, but your ears can take care of the job for you. While your ears naturally produce cerumen, that sticky orangey-brown buildup in your ear known as ear wax, it can also clean it out, too. Ear wax is essential for ear protection and lubrication, it also acts as a filter to keep out harmful things like dust and dirt. When the earwax has done its work, the movements you make while eating and talking will help the wax to work its way out of your ear.
But what can you do if you get a build-up of excess wax in your ears or you simply want to give your ears a cleaning yourself? Here’s how to clean your ears at home naturally.
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You may feel tempted to clean your ears because they feel clogged. However, ear wax may not be the culprit. There are several other potential causes for clogged ears, such as:
If you think you have too much ear wax and your ears feel blocked, then it’s best to seek advice before treating the problem yourself. A build-up of excess ear wax is a common problem. Nevertheless, it can make your ears feel full, uncomfortable, painful, and can even cause temporary hearing loss.
The golden rule when cleaning your ears is not to put anything inside your ears smaller than your elbow. That means not using cotton swabs, bobby pins, or anything else small and narrow. Instead of removing ear wax, you could be pushing it deeper into your ear, leading to a build-up, or the ear wax becoming impacted. You also risk damaging the delicate skin in the ear canal or even the eardrum itself, possibly causing infections.
The recommended andbest way to clean ears is to visit your doctor or hearing care professional who will perform a professional ear cleaning using specialized instruments to safely remove any debris or excessive ear wax. However, there are also some remedies for clogged ears that you can try at home.
A very simple and safe way to clean ears is to wet a paper towel or cloth with lukewarm water. Wring out any excess moisture and then use the cloth to gently clean the outer areas of your ear, not forgetting behind your ears. This will not only wipe away any excess wax that’s visible in your outer ear but also keep your ears feeling fresh and remove any odors. However, make sure you don’t insert any part of the cloth into your ear canal as this could be harmful. Once you have finished, you can then gently pat your ears dry with a clean towel.
Ear drops have become a common way for ear cleaning and to remove excess wax. You can buy ear drops to use at home or even learn how to properly clean ears with a homemade solution. It can help soften and loosen ear wax to help it work its way out or make removal easier by irrigation.
To use ear drops, lay down on one sid,e, and using the dropper, drop in a few drops of the ear-drop solution into your ear. You will need to stay in that position for 5 to 10 minutes. You may need to repeat this wax-softening process several times before the excess ear wax eventually falls out.
If you notice that your symptoms don’t improve, talk to your doctor or hearing care professional.
If you experience a persistent problem with ear wax, irrigation may help. It uses a tool to push pressurized water into your ear canal to dislodge any stubborn ear wax. Your doctor can do this, or you can learn how to properly clean ears at home using an irrigation kit. These kits use either just plain water or water and saline. Before you irrigate your ear, it’s often a good idea to use ear drops first to help loosen the ear wax. You should then warm up the water to around body temperature, making sure the solution is not too hot or too cold. Using a syringe, gently squirt the solution into your ear canal. You should avoid using irrigation to clean your ears if you have any of the following:
While our ears are wonderfully clever, they are also a very sensitive and delicate part of the body. That’s why knowing how to properly clean ears safely is essential. In most cases, you can let your ears simply take care of themselves and a gentle wipe with a warm cloth is all they need. However, if you are concerned about your ears, get advice from your doctor or hearing care professional as soon as possible.
Rubbing alcohol in ear can be an effective cleaning method, as it helps to remove excess wax and debris while also disinfecting the ear canal preventing infections and other ear-related problems.
When hydrogen peroxide is used in the ear, it can help to break down earwax and remove debris. The chemical reaction that occurs when it comes into contact with earwax causes it to foam, which can help to loosen and dislodge the wax.
