Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a common substance that your ears produce. You may have heard that “you should not clean your ears, or it can cause infections.”
Well, the main instruction from experts is to not put anything into your ear, but still, you can clean your outer ear layer in different ways.
Do you know that your ears do a great job by cleaning themselves?
Yes, this fact may surprise you.
You only need to remove the earwax from the outside of your ear canal.
But wait!
You should know the ways to clean your ear. Before we get started, let’s learn about how your ears make wax.
The Reason why Ears Make Wax
The glands secret the wax in the skin that lines the outer half of ear canals. It is a normal body function that keeps your ears lubricated as lack of cerumen can lead to dryness and itchiness.
Earwax helps to remove the dead skin cells, dirt, debris, and hair from your ear canal. It happens because earwax contains antibacterial properties that work as self-cleaning.
Self-cleaning of your ears occurs when you move your jaws while eating food that dries it up and results in falls out. You can also call it a filter that lowers the risk of infections by removing all the debris. It also traps the dirt and dust to prevent them from going too deep inside.
If you put anything into your ear, it may cause blockage against your eardrum.
According to the best ENT specialists, ear blockage can cause various issues, like hearing loss, infection, and rupture of the eardrum.
If there is earwax blockage, the following treatments can help to deal with it.
Table of Contents
Ear Cleaning – How to do it at Home
Earwax blockage can cause severe ear infections or even lead to hearing issues. If it is a mild case, you can treat it at home with the following natural tips.
1. Hydrogen Peroxide
Putting something into your ear can push the wax deep inside the canal. One of the common ways to remove the wax includes earwax drops like hydrogen peroxide.
According to ncbi, hydrogen peroxide is a powerful antiseptic. You need a dropper to add the hydrogen peroxide drop into the ear that can help in earwax removal.
But make sure that you tilt your head while adding drops into your ears. It helps the fluids to drip down to your inner canal to remove the blockage.
It loosens up the earwax that lets it fall out.
You must check the hydrogen peroxide concentration level as it also causes skin irritation. More than 10% high concentrated solution may cause skin burn. You can also ask your doctor to get the right product.
2. Ear Drops
Over-the-counter solutions like ear drops are also effective to remove the earwax. You can get rid of wax blockage using OTC or ear drops. Because eardrops solution often contains carbamide peroxide that also works the same as hydrogen peroxide.
Before you use it, always read the instructions. You should add the drops twice a day and for some days until your earwax gets cleared.
3. Rubber Ball Syringe
It is also a common way for ear cleaning. You need to tilt the head to keep your affected ear in an upward position. A rubber ball syringe helps to drip warm water into your ear canal but make sure that you go slowly.
If you put water pressure on your ear canal, it may result in dizziness. Before you fill the syringe, make sure that you add warm water, neither hot nor cold.
Once you add the water into your ear, change your head position. When your affected ear will be in a downward position, it helps to drip out earwax.
Repeat this method multiple times to drain out all the ear stuff.
If you have an ear injury or wound on your ear skin, avoid doing any such practice that can cause irritation.
4. Baking Soda
At home, you can use the kitchen ingredients for ear cleaning, like baking soda. All you need is to add ½ teaspoon of baking soda into warm water. If you have an eyedropper, clean it thoroughly and add the solution.
Tilt your head and keep your affected ear in an upward position to let the solution go deep down. You need to keep the solution in your ear for at least one hour.
Use water to flush it. It will help to clear out the earwax but do not repeat this method for up to two weeks.
5. Oils
Wax in your ear is also a substance similar to oil. When you add a few drops of oil into your ear, it combines with earwax and softens it. There are many beneficial oils that can help with earwax removals, such as mineral oil, olive oil, baby oil, and coconut oil.
Glycerin also leaves a moisturizing effect that softens the wax and helps to melt the blockage.
Before you add drops into your ear, warm the oil but do not do it in the microwave. Keep your affected ear in the upward position for at least 5 minutes after adding drops.
What Ear Cleaning Home Remedies are Dangerous?
Not every remedy you read online is reliable, as you should do more research or ask an expert before following any tip. You need to pay attention to some home remedies that will not work for you but may cause infection.
These tips are:
Everyone keeps cotton swabs in the bag, but it is not safe for your ears.
When you put it inside your ear, it may cause damage and infection.
This technique requires caution, but you should avoid its use as it may lead to punctured eardrums or injuries.
Pen caps or any small pin that you can put into your ear can push the wax to the inside ear canal.
How to Address the Ear Condition…
It may be possible that you feel irritation due to excess wax in your ear. But if you still feel irritation or pain after ear cleaning at home, then you should discuss it with your doctor. Avoid the use of small object insertions that can cause infection or trigger the previous one. Earwax removal kits are also available, but you should use them when your doctor asks.
