Hidden Dangers of Ear Wax Removal

Cerumen, better known as ear wax, is produced naturally by the human body. While it may seem disgusting to some, ear wax actually serves an important purpose. Contrary to what you may have been taught, you should never attempt to remove ear wax on your own and you should never insert anything into your ear canal - this includes cotton swabs. Instead, any problems with hearing, discomfort or irritation should be handled by a professional right away.

What Is Ear Wax?

Coating the ear canal, cerumen is a liquid-like substance that prevents the ear from becoming too wet or dry. Because ear wax is constantly moving dirt and other particles out of your ear, cerumen helps prevent irritation and infection.

Never Use Cotton Swabs

Cotton swabs of all sizes are sold under many different brand names, all with the expressed purpose of removing earwax safely. However, these swabs can actually push dirt and debris farther into the ear and may increase your chance of developing an infection or hearing problem. Cerumen may also become impacted inside the ear canal and in some cases may require professional medical attention. Fortunately most hearing problems that are caused by an ear wax blockage can be removed by a qualified physician rather easily.

Dangers of Irrigation

There are several types of eardrop and ear irrigation solutions that are also advertised as a safe method of ear wax removal, but there are dangers associated with these too. Using too much can actually result in irreversible damage to your ear. In emergency cases when a physician can be seen immediately, sterile water or sterile saline water is just as effective as any kind of prescription or over-the-counter eardrops that can be found at your local pharmacy.

Avoid Ear Candling

Ear candling has been promoted as a safe method of ear wax removal by self-help gurus and practitioners of alternative medicine for years, but most professional physicians agree that there is no proven medical benefit associated with ear candling. Despite this fact, and regardless of the potential fire hazards that may result from performing this procedure improperly, many consumers still insist on ear candling as a safe way of removing cerumen.

Safe and Proper Cleaning

According to most physicians today, regularly washing the outer ear with soap as you bathe or shower is all the cleaning you need to do in order to keep your ears healthy. The human body creates cerumen for a reason, and it very rarely creates any more than necessary.