When to contact a doctor
by Admin
Posted on 04-07-2022 04:44 PM
Tips for Cleaning Your Ears Safely
If you’re still using a cotton swab to clean your ears , now is the time to stop! there are many recent news stories outlining the dangers of inserting cotton swabs into the ear
canal
, among them irritation, infection, even a perforated eardrum. So how do you clean your ears safely at home? here are some do-it-yourself cleaning tips.
Best ways to clean your ears
Cleaning a working ear can be done by washing it with a soft cloth, but do not insert anything into the ear. Ideally, the ear canals should never have to be cleaned. However, that isn’t always the case. The ears should be cleaned when enough earwax gathers to cause symptoms or to prevent a needed assessment of the ear by your doctor. This condition is call cerumen impaction. Most cases of ear wax blockage respond to home treatments used to soften wax. Patients can try placing a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil, glycerin, or commercial drops in the ear.
Under ideal circumstances there is no need to clean your ear canals because movement of the jaw helps the ears’ natural cleaning process. However, we all know that this isn’t always so. Many problems can be handled with home treatment, but professional help is most often needed to remove tightly packed cerumen. The american academy of otolaryngology discourages earwax removal unless excess earwax is causing health problems. 4unless there is a blockage, it is best to leave earwax alone. Remember, earwax is needed to protect the ear. Having earwax does not mean that your ears are not clean. Still, ear canals should be cleaned when enough earwax accumulates to cause symptoms or to prevent a needed assessment of the ear by your physician.
Flaky earwax isn’t always due only to genetics, however. Sometimes it can be a sign of a health condition like eczema and psoriasis. Both conditions can cause flaking of the skin inside the ear, or earwax with a flaky consistency. Some external factors can influence the production of earwax, including fear and anxiety. What causes dry earwax? dry ears can have many causes. It can be as simple as not being able to produce enough earwax or cleaning the ears too much. Dry ears can also be linked to skin allergies, and to other dry skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.
Massage can be a highly effective earwax removal strategy. Gently massage the area directly behind your earlobe to help loosen the wax. Then tug the earlobe while opening and closing your mouth. Note: always consult your doctor before attempting to remove earwax. Earwax plays a vital part of your body’s defense system, and you need to consider this before cleaning your ears. 2 / 5 photo: shutterstock.
Why cleaning your ears is important
Earwax, also known as cerumen, plays an important role in your body. It helps eliminate dirt, debris, hair and dead skin cells from your ear canal. Earwax keeps your ear canal from becoming itchy and uncomfortable and it lowers your risk of infection. It also helps decrease the irritation of water when it gets into your ear canal. While earwax does serve some useful purposes, having too much of it can result in buildup and ear canal blockage. Your body can overproduce earwax leading to this blockage, but also, you can cause the blockage as well by cleaning your ears out with a cotton swab or other item that pushes the earwax further into your ear canal.