J M
- Earwax protects your ears from a lot of harmful things but lack of ear cleaning may cause earwax buildup.
- Earwax buildup can cause problems such as hearing difficulties and vertigo.
- It is advised that people should get their ears cleaned once a week
It may be a lot of people’s habit to swab their ears to feel cleaner and more satisfied.
You may have read that cotton swabs can actually be dangerous to your ears and at the same time, earwax also protects them from harmful things that may enter it, it is still best not to neglect cleaning it.
Earwax, also known as serumen, is the yellowish to reddish brown thing that forms on the skin of your ear canal. It protects you from bacteria, fungi, insects, and water that might enter the deeper part of your ear.
It constantly travels towards your outer ear, however, a buildup of earwax is not impossible. Excess and compacted earwax can press against your eardrum or block the outside ear canal. This will cause hearing difficulties, tinnitus, itching, vertigo, or pain.
So you may now be wondering, “How do I remove earwax then?”. Well, it is still advised to not eliminate it entirely, but to simply hinder it from blocking your ear. Studies have shown that cotton buds only remove the top layer of the wax and pushes the rest further into the ear canal. It may cause damage to the ear canal. Cotton buds may only be used to clean your external ear.
Rimming small objects into your ear repetitively can cause damage and even prick the eardrum. Aside from that, abrasion of your ear canal can also lead to infection.
There are more invasive removal methods such as suction, irrigation with a syringe or small forceps or spoons, but these should only be done by a general practitioner or an ear specialist.
Experts also reminded to not over-clean the ears as it can cause irritation.
