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Earwax is, well, pretty gross, so it’s no
wonder most of us reach for cotton swabs
on a regular basis. But here’s the rub:
There’s a good chance you’re putting your
ears and your hearing at risk with every
wax removal attempt.
Why? The eardrum and the little bones of
the middle ear—called ossicles—are easy
to damage (ouch), and may even require
surgery to fix (double ouch), explains Boris
Chernobilsky, MD, assistant clinical
professor of otolaryngology at the Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New
York City. “In the worst case scenario,
damage to the ossicles can result in a leak
of fluid from the inner ear,” he says. “This
would result in severe vertigo and
potentially a permanent hearing loss.”
Also, the skin of the ear canal is ultra-thin,
and easily injured by just about anything
you put in there. “If skin is broken, it can
get infected and lead to a painful external
ear infection—swimmer’s ear, in lay terms,”
Dr. Chernobilsky adds.
If you want to keep your ears in perfect
shape, he recommends ditching the
following habits ASAP.
Attempting to clean regularly
Most people actually never need to clean
their ears. “Ears are self-cleaning,” Dr.
Chernobilsky explains. “It is the only part
of the body in which the skin grows in a
direction, and brings the wax and skin
debris out from the canal to the outer
ear.” (When you move your jaw and chew,
you’re assisting this process.) Some people
have more earwax than others, but in
general, the ears make the amount of wax
they need. The yellow-orange substance—
technically known as cerumen—protects
the skin in the ear canal by lubricating it
and preventing it from filling up with water.
“It’s a natural skin lotion,” Dr. Chernobilsky
says. “Cerumen also has properties which
kill certain types of bacteria and prevent
the growth of fungus.” So instead of
digging for treasure in your ear canals, wait
for the wax to loosen on its own and reach
the outer ear. Then gently brush it out with
a wash cloth.
Inserting cotton swabs
Cotton swabs are bathroom staples, but
they’re not meant for use in the ears. It
even says so on most packaging. The rigid,
pointy shape can damage the skin,
eardrum, and ossicles. Swabs can also
push the wax in deeper and cause
impaction, Dr. Chernobilsky says. One more
unpleasant possibility: the cotton head can
pop off in your ear canal. If that happens,
you need to see a doc to have it removed.
Inserting any pointy objects
“People will stick just about anything they
can think of into their ears when they feel
discomfort—their long finger nails, bobby
pins, sewing needles, keys, to name a few.”
Anything sharp or shaped similarly to a
cotton swab will pose the same risks of
cutting the skin and damaging the inner
and outer ear.
Candling
This practice involves placing a hollow,
cone-shaped candle into the ear. The heat
of the flame supposedly creates a vacuum
effect, drawing wax to the candle. While
some folks have anecdotal tales of success
with candling, research has shown it’s
bunk, and Dr. Chernobilsky considers it
extremely dangerous: “I have seen eardrum
perforations and burns from people’s hair
catching on fire.” Yep, we’ll pass!
Rinsing with a syringe
“While this method is generally safe if done
right, you are doing it blindly, and you can
get a swimmer’s ear if the ear isn’t dried
properly when you are done,” Dr.
Chernobilsky says. In short: Your ears are
not the place to build your own irrigation
system.
Is there a safe way to remove wax?
Your best bet when it comes to earwax:
Let it be.
But certain people may accumulate wax
faster, Dr. Chernobilsky explains. “These
are the people that use hearing aids with
in-the-ear molds, doctors that use
stethoscopes, musicians that use ear plugs,
or people that use ear buds to listen to
music, to name a few.” If your wax buildup
really bothers you, visit your primary care
provider or an otolaryngologist every few
months to have your ears cleaned out.
Between those doctor visits, you can try an
over-the-counter wax softener, as long as
you know that your ears are otherwise
healthy and you don’t have any cuts in or
around the eardrum. Softening products
typically involve drops or an oily solution
that loosen wax and help it slide to the
outer ear. Some products also come with
peroxide to dissolve the stuff. “The
[softeners] that are oil-based are just fine,”
says Dr. Chernobilsky. But if you use a
product with peroxide and have a cut, it
will burn.
He also warns that if you’ve got a large
plug of wax, a softener could make you feel
much worse: “The peroxide can cause the
wax to expand and cause significant pain,
pressure, and hearing loss without
dissolving the plug.”
Another trick you can try between doctor
visits: Tilt your head to the side and put a
few drops of mineral oil in the ear. “I prefer
mineral oil to baby oil since it is inert and
does not have any fragrances that people
with allergies or sensitive skin may react
to,” says Dr. Chernobilsky. Then lay your
head on a towel-covered pillow for a few
minutes, and the wax should slip out.
However, he cautions, this isn’t a solution
for a major wax impaction. For that, you
still need an MD. (Time)