There are various opinions on ear cleaning. Medical professionals commonly concur that inserting objects into your ear is not advisable.

Ears are typically self-cleaning and require little additional maintenance. The primary reason for cleaning them is to soften or eliminate earwax from the external part of your ear canals. If you choose to do this, it’s important to learn the proper method to avoid any harm.

Earwax, or cerumen as it is medically known, is a normal secretion of the body. It serves to protect and moisten the ears. Without earwax, one might experience dryness and itching in the ears.

Additionally, earwax possesses antibacterial qualities, enabling your ears to clean themselves. It acts as a barrier, preventing dirt, dust, and other harmful substances from entering and settling deep within your ears.

Chewing and moving your jaw aids in the transportation of old earwax from the ear canal to the ear opening, where it typically dries up and falls out. However, earwax is not produced in the deep part of the ear canal; it originates in the outer section.

Often, an earwax blockage against the eardrum occurs because you’ve attempted to clean your ears with a cotton swab or a similar object, which can push the wax further in.

Should You Clean Your Ears?

Under normal circumstances, your ear canals should not require cleaning. However, excessive earwax accumulation that leads to symptoms or obstructs a doctor’s ability to conduct a thorough ear examination may indicate cerumen impaction. This condition occurs when earwax completely fills the ear canal and can affect one or both ears.

Earwax buildup can be more common if you use hearing aids, have had ear surgery complications, or insert cotton swabs or other items into your ear.

The symptoms of cerumen impaction include:

• Pain or a sensation of fullness in your ear
• A plugged feeling in your ear
• Gradual hearing loss that intensifies over time
• Tinnitus, or ringing in your ear
• Itching, discharge, or an odor from your ear
• Coughing

While it is uncommon, earwax buildup can occur. Should you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms, contact your doctor. They will inspect your ears, determine the cause, and suggest a method for earwax removal.

To remove the earwax, your doctor may use a specialized tool to view your ear canal and employ small instruments, such as suction or irrigation for extraction.

Earwax Removal

Experts generally advise against removing earwax yourself. If your ears feel blocked, add drops of water with a cotton ball into it with your head tilted. Let it sit for a minute, then tilt your head back to relieve the blockage.

But it’s best to see an ear, nose, and throat doctor for earwax removal. They may recommend treatments, including:

Ear drops with cerumenolytic agents

You can get ear drops with a liquid substance called a cerumenolytic, over the counter. This liquid solution, which may be water-based or oil-based, helps thin or dissolve earwax.

They may recommend water-based cerumenolytics with ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, acetic acid, docusate sodium, or sodium bicarbonate.

Oil-based cerumenolytics commonly include ingredients such as peanut oil, olive oil, or almond oil.

Your doctor may tell you to use up to five drops per dose once or twice daily for 3-7 days.

Stay Healthy Research Team