Like other parts of the body, the hearing organs require regular hygiene procedures. It is necessary to clean your ears when a sufficient amount of a special substance accumulates in them - earwax. At the same time, it is important to avoid its excessive elimination, since this substance plays an important role in the human body.
The role of earwax in the body
The production of earwax is part of the natural defense against external influences. This substance is formed inside the ear, near the entrance to the auditory canal, and is secreted by the sulfur and sebaceous glands.
Sulfur is an important biomaterial for:
- Protection against penetration of pathogenic bacteria and fungi into the internal auditory canal. It copes with this task perfectly, because it represents an unfavorable environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
- Cleansing the hearing organs from particles of epithelium, small foreign objects, etc. that get into them.
- Supports healthy microflora in the ears, moisturizing their inner walls.
Thanks to the presence of sulfur secretion, the ears self-clean from dirt. This process occurs at the moment of chewing food, when the mandibular muscles push the produced wax in the direction of the external ear opening. Subsequent contact of sulfur with air causes it to dry out and fall off on its own.
If the human body functions without disturbances, the amount of sulfur matter does not exceed the norm and is not noticeable to others.
How often should adults clean their ears?
To avoid wax plugs, otolaryngologists recommend cleaning your ears:
- after a bath or shower (as a result of water procedures, the epidermis steams and becomes soft, which makes cleaning the auricle much easier);
- once a week, cleaning the ear canals with cotton swabs or gauze pads.
Often, to maintain the required level of hygiene, the first method is sufficient. The second option is additionally resorted to in cases where sulfur is produced in a mode of increased activity.
The detergents used should not cause discomfort, dryness or flaking of the skin. By using low-quality products, you can provoke allergic reactions in the hearing organs, which are fertile ground for the development of ENT diseases.
How often do children's ears get cleaned?
At an early age, children are not able to independently take care of the cleanliness of their ears, so all necessary manipulations are carried out by adults. During the newborn period, it is enough to carry out the process of cleansing the hearing organs with a 10-day break, using maximum caution. Older children can free their ear canals from excess wax just like adults.
How to clean your ears at home - safe ways
To clean the ears of an adult during water procedures, it is recommended to do the following:
- lather your ears with soap;
- Using circular movements, work through the ear canals with a damp cloth or fingers.
It is forbidden to try to push a napkin or hand too far inside - otherwise you can damage your hearing.
When cleaning the hearing organs using cotton wool sticks, you must perform all actions carefully. Additionally, it is useful to use special pharmaceutical products (3% hydrogen peroxide, Aqua Maris, Otinum).
The subsequent algorithm of actions will require:
- soak a cotton swab with the cleansing product;
- tilt your head and thoroughly wipe your ears;
- drop 2-3 drops of the selected product into the ear canals one by one;
- To avoid rapid leakage of the drug, the ear canals should be briefly covered with cotton balls.
By performing all the manipulations correctly, you can be guaranteed to avoid the formation of wax plugs in the ears and the subsequent need for rinsing.
To avoid drying out the skin of the ears, lubricate it with emollient oil. Pharmacies have a large selection of such products. It is better to choose products that have a natural base and antifungal properties.
After an incorrectly performed procedure, unpleasant sensations may occur - stuffiness in the ears, itching, increased dryness. This situation requires a mandatory visit to an ENT doctor.
If blackness is visible on the stick when cleaning the ear, this indicates the accumulation of wax as a result of irregular ear hygiene. Often, darkening of the sulfur secretion is associated with the formation of a plug; a visit to a specialist is required to rinse the ear canal.
Is it possible to constantly clean your ears with hydrogen peroxide?
Using hydrogen peroxide to regularly clean your ears is not recommended. This drug can be used once every 10 days.
As a result of frequent use, hydrogen peroxide has the following side effects:
- provokes drying of the epidermis and the appearance of itching sensations;
- causes destruction of epithelial cells;
- deprives sulfur and fat secretions of natural protective functions.
Such negative phenomena are explained as follows: the area of the external auditory canal should not regularly come into contact with various liquids. Even frequent contact with water in this area of the body can provoke the development of an inflammatory process.
Cleaning a newborn's ears
Cleaning the hearing organs of newborn babies is carried out immediately after hygiene procedures or upon completion of feeding. After bathing, the wax will be as close as possible to the exit of the ears, and during breastfeeding, its discharge improves in the process of sucking movements made by the baby.
The cleansing procedure consists of the following steps:
- You will need to stock up on gauze swabs and special cotton swabs with limiters in advance.
- After moistening the stick in water, turn the baby's head to the side and carefully wipe the outer part of the ear.
- Using a sterile cotton swab, carefully clean the ear canal.
- The procedure is repeated with the second ear.
During the session, cotton swabs and swabs should be changed as often as possible.
Just like adults, children's ears need careful hygiene. Sometimes, at least once a month, you should clean your hearing organs with a 3% peroxide solution. For this purpose, gauze flagella are lightly moistened with this drug and then inserted half a centimeter into the ear canal. After this, excess moisture is eliminated using dry turunda.
If you suspect that your child has a wax plug, you should not try to eliminate it at home. In such a situation, you must immediately contact a medical institution, where the procedure will be carried out competently and under sterile conditions.
Cleaning your ears with cotton swabs – when hygiene becomes dangerous
Cotton swabs should be used with extreme caution. Some experts even recommend abandoning them in favor of gauze flagella.
Careless use of cotton wool sticks can cause:
- perforation of the eardrum;
- development of bleeding, acute pain;
- deterioration and complete loss of hearing;
- dizziness.
Also, cleaning the ears using cotton swabs can damage the areas of the skin adjacent to the hearing organs, causing the formation of wounds and infection. This process is fraught with the development of otitis media, a dangerous inflammatory disease.
Careless and inept use of cotton swabs often leads to pushing the resulting plug into the depths of the ear canal. After this, it is possible to get rid of it only by washing it with a special syringe.
The consequences of cleaning your ears too often
Excessively diligent, frequent cleaning of the ears from wax provokes artificial irritation of the sulfur glands and the activation of secretion production. In this case, a plug is formed, which worsens the quality of auditory perception.
On the other hand, the production of biological material may stop completely. In such a situation, dryness and itching sensations in the ear canal, caused by insufficient moisture, become inevitable.
By removing earwax too often, you can provoke the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms and dust particles into the auricle. By eliminating the natural protective barrier, various inflammatory diseases can be caused, causing partial or complete hearing loss.
Experts warn that in addition to excessive hygiene, you should completely avoid cleaning your ears with objects not intended for this purpose. These can be toothpicks, keys, hairpins, matches.
When to avoid the procedure
You should refrain from the usual procedure of cleansing the ears if symptoms of an infectious process develop. Signs of pathology can take the form of:
- sharp, prolonged pain inside the ear;
- discharge from the ear canal that has a green or yellow tint;
- fever, vomiting.
Such conditions may also indicate damage to the eardrum. Under such circumstances, ear cleaning should be postponed, self-diagnosis and self-medication should be abandoned, and an otolaryngologist should be visited as soon as possible.
How to clean your ears? is a pressing question for many people. Most of them are overly concerned about the hygiene of their ears and do it incorrectly, which is caused by a lack of awareness about what earwax is and what its role is.
Sulfur is an important biological material that performs many important functions:
- Protects the inner ear from bacteria and infections, as it is an unfavorable environment for their reproduction.
- Clears the ear canal of foreign bodies, epithelial particles, etc.
- Maintains optimal microflora in the ear and moisturizes its walls.
During normal functioning of the body, sulfur is produced exactly as much as needed. It does not “stick out” and does not spoil a person’s appearance. If you begin to actively and regularly cleanse it, you artificially irritate the sulfur glands and activate greater sulfur production. In another case, the synthesis of biological material may stop altogether, which will lead to irreversible consequences and complications. Thus, with increased sulfur production, sulfur plugs form; with decreased production, itching and excessive dryness appear in the ear canal.
Is it possible to clean ears with cotton swabs?
The most popular accessory for cleaning ears is cotton swabs. Initially they 
intended for local application of brilliant green or iodine, as well as for use for cosmetic purposes. However, inventive people have come up with a new use for them - cleaning their ears. But few people know that using cotton swabs will do more harm than good:
- Using chopsticks risks rupturing the eardrum, which can subsequently lead to complete loss of hearing and attacks of dizziness.
- Cleaning your ears with cotton swabs can damage the skin and introduce infections into open wounds. This threatens the development of inflammatory ear disease.
- Pushing the resulting plug deep inside the ear canal, as a result of which it is possible to get rid of it only with the help of special rinsing.
How to clean your ears at home
In order to clean your ear and not damage it, follow these simple recommendations:
Proper care of the auricle and canal will help maintain the health of the organ and its normal functioning for a long time. Remember, ear cleaning is more of a cosmetic procedure than a hygienic one.
The issue of ear hygiene always causes a lot of controversy: some believe that the ear canals must be cleaned at least once a week, some take the position that it is enough to blot them with a towel after a shower, and some clean them once a year in the office at the ENT after a sulfur plug forms inside.
So how to properly clean your ears? What should you do if a sulfur plug has formed in the passages? What happens if you don't clean your ears?
The mechanism of sulfur production and natural cleansing
Sulfur is produced in the outer parts of our hearing organs by special glands. This secretion is needed for lubrication, protection from mechanical damage, dust and bacterial invasions, and its natural movement helps remove dead skin particles from the ear.
The production of sulfur occurs gradually and just as smoothly it naturally moves towards the exit of the ear canal from the eardrum to the auricle during the chewing process. Nature has laid down an ideal cleansing mechanism that does not require any intervention. Therefore, you should not wonder whether you need to clean your ears - it is correct to remove wax directly at the exit of the ear canal.
Possible problems
Perhaps the only problem you may encounter is the formation of ear plugs. They can appear either due to improper hygiene or due to the use of accessories. To avoid facing painful problems, everyone should know what are the common mistakes and causes of traffic jams.
- Using earplugs and earplugs, which push wax back into the ear canal and prevent it from migrating naturally.
- Wearing hearing aids for a long time also provokes the accumulation of wax and the formation of plugs.
- Infection and swelling of the ear canal can cause accumulation of wax and blockage of the passage.
- Excessively intense secretion due to vitamin deficiency, in which sulfur does not have time to be completely eliminated, can lead to blockage.
- Most often, wax plugs are formed when the ears are not properly cleaned with cotton swabs. If you insert them too deeply, instead of extracting the secretion, you can help compact it in the canal. This is why accessories with a restrictor are produced for babies - it does not allow inserting it deep into the ear.
- Strong pressure with cotton swabs when trying to clean the ear on the walls of the ear canal can lead to traumatization of the glands and cause them to work intensively. With such excessive release of sulfur, it does not have time to move towards the exit and accumulates at the eardrum.
- Intense secretion also occurs in people who are accustomed to frequently cleaning their ears with cotton swabs. Daily removal of sulfur helps to increase its production; without having time to be removed, it accumulates at the eardrum.
Proper hygienic cleaning
How often you need to clean your ears is up to you. The main thing is to ensure that too much sulfur mass does not accumulate at the outlet of the channel. And in order to avoid wax plugs, you need to know how to properly clean your ears:
- Do not use cotton swabs for cleaning, or at least do not insert them deep into the ear canal. It is enough to hold the tip of the accessory at the exit, clearing off the accumulated masses.
- In the bathroom, when washing your hair, do not forget about ear hygiene. They also need to be soaped and thoroughly washed with water.
All young mothers are concerned about how to properly clean their babies' ears. In infants, hygiene should be done using damp gauze or a napkin. Once a week after eating, wipe the exits from the ear canals and the “labyrinths” of the auricle.
Methods for removing traffic jams
If a wax plug does form, you should make an appointment with an ENT specialist for professional cleaning of the ear canals. You can determine that too much secretion has accumulated in the ears and can no longer come out on its own using specific signs:
- you will feel a feeling of stuffiness in your ear;
- tinnitus will be added to the congestion, which appears due to the pressure of sulfur masses on the eardrum;
- as sulfur accumulates in the passages, hearing may deteriorate significantly or disappear altogether;
- the pressure of wax on the walls of the passage and the eardrum leads to pain inside the ear.
If it is not possible to get to an ENT specialist, you can rinse the ear with wax plug yourself. Only this measure will help get rid of the problem, so there is no need to think about whether it is possible to clean your ears with cotton swabs, thus trying to get rid of the accumulations inside the ear.
Dissolution
A simple way to clean your ears when earwax begins to form is to dissolve it. Pharmacies have many safe ready-made formulations that should be instilled into the ear canal. After using these drugs, the soaked secretion should gradually move towards the exit from the canal.
Regular 3% hydrogen peroxide also helps dissolve sulfur plugs. It is also instilled in a small (4-5 drops) volume directly into the ear canal, where it softens the accumulations of secretions. This technique can be used both by itself - to combat the initial stage of blockage, and as a preparatory stage for washing.
Washing
- Immediately before the rinsing procedure, it is sometimes necessary to soak the sulfur plug a little - this makes it easier to wash out and clean out the accumulations. The patient should lie on his side so that the blocked ear is on top. Hydrogen peroxide is then instilled into the ear canal. After 5-10 minutes, you can try to press on the ear donut, provoking the removal of the plug from the eardrum and the walls of the canal. After this, the patient needs to turn over to the other side so that the fluid flows out of the sore ear.
- If the first step does not improve your hearing or clear the plug from your ears, you can proceed to a more serious procedure - rinsing. Place a warm 3% hydrogen peroxide solution into a syringe without a needle. With your head slightly tilted, begin injecting the drug into the canal. There is no need to insert the syringe too deeply - just place its nozzle at the entrance, the peroxide itself will pass well to the desired place.
- After the liquid in the syringe runs out, tilt your head so that the remaining liquid flows out of your ear. Repeat the procedure until pure hydrogen peroxide without sulfur flakes flows from the ear canal.
You can clean earwax at home from earwax not only with hydrogen peroxide. Both a saline solution and just warm water are suitable for this.
To prepare the first composition, dilute 1 tsp in 100 grams of warm water. regular salt. This solution can be used both for rinsing and for preliminary (before cleaning the ears with a syringe) softening of the wax plug by instilling it into the ear canal.
You can also use a soda solution to clean the passage. Dilute the powder in warm water in a ratio of 1:8 and use the resulting composition to soften the wax plug and rinse. Baking soda is very effective in cases where you have to clean your ears at home to remove plugs.
It is a natural substance produced by glands in the area of the external auditory canal. It has protective, lubricating and germicidal options. The main task is to provide protection against bacteria and other environmental factors. To avoid the formation of traffic jams and hearing problems, it is important to know how to properly clean your ears, as well as what to do if a traffic jam occurs - this will be discussed in this material.
Causes of earwax accumulation
Inside the ear canal, there is a process associated with slow migration, during which cells are transported from the eardrum to the ear opening. But difficulties may arise as a result of its blockage, because it tends to accumulate deep inside the canal due to poor cleaning or the use of the “wrong” ear cleaning tools. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the question of how to properly clean your ears in order to avoid this problem.
Safe cleaning features
Cleaning your ears is a simple task, which, however, requires rational and competent care. Symptoms of excess wax released from the ear include pain and a feeling of fullness, ringing, temporary hearing loss and other factors. If a person is suffering from the problem of blockage, he needs to know how to properly clean his ears to remove it and gain good hearing. Fortunately, there are many home methods that allow you to carry out such an activity as ear cleaning as inexpensively and effectively as possible.
Ways to remove sulfur
When considering the question of how to clean ears, it is worth noting that washing is carried out in several ways, and they are usually cleaned with simple improvised means, which are found in virtually every home.
Salty water
Cleaning your ears with salt water is an effective way to combat many ear problems. This method ensures softening of accumulations and their rapid and effective elimination. How to clean wax from ears? Simple enough. To do this, you need to take one teaspoon of salt and add it to heated water in the amount of ½ cup. This composition must be stirred until the salt is completely dissolved. After this, the ears are directly cared for:
- tilt the ear that is being cleaned so that it “looks” upward;
- take a cotton ball and dispense a couple of drops of salt water;
- maintain this position for 3-5 minutes;
- A soft cloth is used to remove softened wax.
Such hygiene will allow you to quickly and effectively remove excess protective substances and prevent hearing problems.
Hydrogen peroxide
When considering the question of how to clean your ear, it is worth noting such a method as using hydrogen peroxide. This ear hygiene will keep your ears healthy and comfortable. Before carrying out such cleaning, it is important to exclude the presence of a disease such as otitis media. If there is noticeable pain, you should visit an ENT specialist and under no circumstances carry out cleaning activities yourself. Whether it is necessary to clean the ears using this method is up to everyone to decide for themselves, but it is important to understand that peroxide is not a medicine for treatment, it only cleanses the ear canal, softening wax.
Using baby oil
You can clean your ears with baby oil; some carrier oils are also used for this. They usually have a softening effect and eliminate sulfur, or rather, facilitate its removal. How often to clean your ears depends on how dirty your ears are and how often wax builds up.
Alcohol and acetic acid
Ear care rules traditionally include the use of a one-to-one mixture of vinegar and alcohol, which ensures effective dissolution of earwax. In addition, alcohol acts as a noticeable drying agent and can evaporate at low temperatures. As for vinegar, it provides the process of removing earwax by dissolving it, it effectively fights fungi and bacteria and helps prevent any infectious processes.
Warm water
When considering the question of how to clean your ears, you should pay attention to such a primitive method. For this, only pure filtered water is used. Take a syringe with a rubber tip, use it to pour a small amount of water into the ear canal area, leave it for a minute, then drain it. Residues of wax after cleaning should be removed using a clean cloth.
Baking soda
Many people are interested in the question of whether this product can be used to effectively clean the ear. In fact, the product is effective and suggests using a baking soda solution of ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and 8 times more water. The principle of such ear cleaning at home is identical to the previous method. It also helps to cope with the situation when congestion is present, but the first thing to do before use is to consult a doctor.
Use of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
If your ear is blocked, this may indicate a deficiency of these substances, so the first thing to do in this situation is to replenish the balance. The diet must contain foods that are sources of these vitamins and microelements. These are walnuts, cod liver oil, avocado. Synthetic prophylactic drugs – REMOVAX, A-CERUMENE, castor oil – also help maintain normal hearing.
»: « Ear hygiene. How not to do harm."
Let's talk in more detail about whether you need to worry too much about your own hygiene, especially your ears. Ear wax – why is it needed? Ear sticks – can they be used for ear hygiene? What should you do to keep your ears clean and clean? how to properly clean your ears?
It is difficult to imagine a modern person who would sleep, eat, but not maintain hygiene. If such a person, due to the nature of his work, is forced to communicate with a large number of people and his career depends on the opinions of these people, then he carefully takes care of his appearance. Agree, we all feel more confident if everything is fine in terms of hygiene.
Often people, caring about their cleanliness, go too far, as they say. And instead of benefiting from appearance and hygiene, they harm themselves. This can be said about the excessive enthusiasm for washing off germs from your body with the help of detergents, and even with a hard washcloth. By the way, among these microbes there are many useful ones. Such washing leads to the fact that the skin, losing beneficial microbes, becomes susceptible to various diseases; its natural moisture is replaced by dryness and irritation.
Ear hygiene. How not to cause harm
Since childhood, we have been taught to monitor cleanliness. If we can see the face, hair, teeth in the reflection of the mirror and therefore are calm, then we are not able to see the ears on our own. This is where excessive anxiety arises: is everything okay there? We are very active in trying to clean out the ear canals in our ears. We think that wax that accumulates in the ears is unsightly and visible to everyone.
Let's figure it out:
- why do you need earwax?
- Is it possible to use ear sticks for ear hygiene;
- how to make sure our ears are well-groomed and always clean.
The ear, like many hollow organs of our body, is capable of self-cleaning. How does this happen? The skin epithelium inside the ear canal is like everywhere else. slowly grows and dies, moving outward. And at the same time, the ear is cleansed of foreign bodies, germs and everything that it does not need.
In addition to dead epithelium, sulfur helps cleanse the ear canal and prevent foreign bodies and bacteria from entering the ear. This substance is formed near the entrance to the auditory canal inside the ear and is secreted through the cerumen and sebaceous glands.
Why do you need wax in your ears?
Sulfur is needed to maintain the necessary microflora inside the ear. It protects our ears from damage and various inflammations. If everything is normal in the body, then so much sulfur is produced that it does not spoil the appearance and at the same time performs its functions well:
- protective (pathogenic microbes do not multiply in sulfur),
- cleansing (connecting with the skin epithelium, removes foreign bodies from the ear),
- moisturizing (retains necessary moisture, which prevents the inner ear from drying out),
- lubricating.
In this case, there is no need to clean it. When we move our jaws, when we chew or talk, and also when washing in the shower, it falls out on its own.
If we nevertheless begin to actively cleanse the ear canal of wax, then as a result, by irritating the sulfur glands, we promote its release in a larger volume or, conversely, stop the formation of wax altogether. If there is a lot of sulfur, then traffic jams form; if not enough, then itching and a feeling of dryness in the ear canal accompanies us constantly.
Can ear sticks be used for ear hygiene?
When performing ear hygiene, many of us use cotton swabs, which are sold in a wide range. Do you know what they are for? To apply brilliant green, iodine to the wound, but under no circumstances to clean your ears with it. Why you ask? Because they do more harm than good.
What are the harms of using ear sticks:
- Eardrum injury. This entails attacks of dizziness and hearing loss.
- Injury to thin skin and infection through wounds. This is how an ear disease occurs - otitis externa.
- Creating and pushing wax plug far into the ear
How to properly clean your ears
From all of the above, it is clear that the best hygiene for our ears is washing the ear itself and the visible part of the entrance to the ear canal with just water. If we do not interfere with the body, then it is able to maintain its functions in perfect order. Self-cleaning of the ear canals is established and helping it means harming your health.
But what to do if wax plugs have already formed, your ears itch, or water got into your ears while swimming at sea. We’ll talk about this next time in the article: “Wax plug in the ear. Symptoms and removal."
P.S. The comments complained that this article does not contain specific advice on how to properly clean your ears. I’ll try to repeat the basic principles and actions, as well as some tips from the next article.
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