You’ve probably put a cotton swab in your ear at one time or another – most people have. However, this is not a safe way to clean your ears and could actually cause lasting damage. Cotton swabs were designed to get into the nooks, crannies, and folds of a baby’s skin, and yet many people purchase them as an ear cleaning tool. If you haven’t had issues with using these swabs yet, you’ve been lucky. Cotton swabs, especially when used regularly, can over clean the ears and cause them to become dry and itchy. The ear needs some wax to stay lubricated and healthy, as well as fend off infection. They can also push impacted wax further into the ear, rather than clean it out. This can make the problem much worse, and even cause problems with hearing. You may also push the swab in too far and end up damaging your eardrum. There are all kinds of issues that can crop up from misusing cotton swabs. Let’s talk about how to safely clean your ears so you can live a high quality of life and protect your hearing.

How to safely clean your ears

In order to safely clean your ears, the only thing you can do is visit an audiologist. They know exactly what to look for and what methods to use to clean out your ears, can improve your hearing, and prevent problems later on down the line. They’ll know whether your ears truly need cleaning out or whether there’s something else going on. At home methods, and even methods offered in salons can be extremely risky, and you’d be better off avoiding them. We’ve already spoken of the danger of cotton swabs, but there are other methods out there. Hopi ear candling can be very dangerous; it can cause a build up of wax in the ear due to the melting candle wax, doing the opposite of what it claims to do. People have also been known to suffer with burns due to ear candling. Other sites may recommend oils, chemicals, and syringes to clean out the ear. All of these things can cause problems if used incorrectly. For example, attempting to clean out your ear with a syringe full of water may seem easy enough, until your ear does not dry properly and you suffer from swimmer’s ear. The only at home method of cleaning your ears should be a tissue on the end of your finger. Doing this can help you to wipe away any excess wax that might be flaky and visible. However, you should avoid putting anything further into your ear canal, whether this is a swab, a pen, or something pointy. If you know you need to clean your ears out more than a tissue on the end of your finger can help you with, visiting an audiologist is the best and safest option. Stop cleaning your ears out with cotton swabs, as chances are, you’re over cleaning them and causing damage.