How to Properly Clean Your Ears

Are you having issues with your ears? You might find that you are struggling to hear or that your ears are hurting. When you notice a change in your ears – whether it’s hearing or simply how much earwax you’re producing, you should seek the advice of an audiologist. In cases like this, you might also attempt to clean out your ears. It’s easy to assume that the problem is due to earwax, particularly if you have noticed an excess level around your outer ear. Here’s everything you need to know about cleaning your ears. 

How should you clean your ears? 

You should clean the outside of your ears with a damp cloth. Wipe around the edges to remove any excess earwax. This can get trapped in little crevices of the outer ear as well as around the back. As well as being unpleasant to look at, this can cause irritation and it’s worth doing this when you have a shower. 

If you have an issue with your ears and you think it’s because they need cleaning, it can be tempting to put something inside like a cotton swab. It’s important to note that anything that you put inside your ears could damage them. You might even perforate your eardrum. Cotton swabs are particularly dangerous, but so are a wide range of other items including bobby pins and even your own finger.

Are there any home ear-cleaning remedies?

You’ll find that there are lots of remedies online for cleaning out your ear. These range from the understandable – tilting your head to the side in the shower – to the ridiculous – using a candle to melt the earwax. Many of the home remedies for ear cleaning are dangerous. Even simply putting water inside your ear can cause the water to get trapped and ultimately lead to an infection. This is the main cause of the condition known as swimmer’s ear. If you think you have this issue, you might notice changes to your hearing. 

Ultimately, cleaning your ears the wrong way can lead to damage to your ears as well as permanent or temporary hearing loss. This is an issue that can easily be avoided by only cleaning the outside of your ears. 

Why do your ears need cleaning?

In most cases your ears don’t actually need cleaning, At least, the insides don’t because they’re part of your body that are self-cleaning. The ears push out dirt, grime, and earwax to the surface of your ear without any interference from you. In some cases, however, earwax can harden and become impacted. This can actually be caused by the improper ear cleaning technique. However, it may also develop naturally. 

If you have this issue there can be various signs. For instance, you might find that you are struggling to hear effectively or that sounds are echoed. You could also be hearing noises that aren’t there and it’s possible that you have earache too. Your ears may also feel irritated. 

Benefits of using an audiologist for ear cleaning 

If you do think there’s an issue with your ears and you need a thorough cleaning, your best option is to see an audiologist. There are a few reasons for this. First, it’s possible that you have misdiagnosed the issue and if that’s the case an audiologist will provide the right treatment option. They could find that you are suffering from tinnitus or even that you have a growth in your ear. 

Second, they’ll provide a solution that is safe and effective. As mentioned, many of the options that people usually favor for cleaning their ears are dangerous and should be avoided. But they are also not effective. If you have impacted earwax then sticking something inside your ear is going to make the problem worse not better. 

With an audiologist, ear cleaning is simple, easy and completely safe. They will squirt a warm liquid inside your ear. This will soften the earwax and allow it to drip out naturally. The whole process takes minutes which means that you’ll easily be able to fit ear cleaning into your schedule. 

We hope this helps you understand how to safely and effectively clean your ears. If you are interested in learning more about Audiology Associates and how we can keep your ears healthy, make sure you contact the team today at 573-332-7000. Here, you’ll gain a wide range of expert advice including what to do if you think your ears need cleaning.