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An Ohio-based ear, nose and throat surgeon reveals how to properly clean ear wax — and it doesn’t involve cotton swabs.
Cotton swabs “really weren’t designed to clean your ears — all they do is just push earwax deeper into your ear canal, causing impaction,” Dr. Tonia said. L. Farmer, known as Dr. Nose Best. in a TikTok last week.
Children are particularly vulnerable to ear injuries from swabs. 263,338 children – about 34 per day – were treated for this type of trauma in U.S. emergency rooms between 1990 and 2010.
Farmer notes that “ears naturally clean themselves like a self-cleaning oven,” so she recommends simply using a damp washcloth to clean the outer part of the ear canal while the earwax is pushed out.
Earwax is made up of secretions from oil and sweat glands, dead skin cells, hair and debris.
The wax removes dirt, dust and bacteria, protecting the ear canal from irritation, infection and drying out.
If you have small ear canals or a buildup of dry earwax, Farmer advises using an earwax softening agent such as mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide or removal drops like Debrox.
A baby bulb syringe filled with water can also remove wax.
However, Farmer cautions against trendy earwax removal tools that have a camera that lets you look inside your ear canal while digging for earwax.
“They’re like cotton swabs: they can just push the earwax further down into your ear. So if you have them at home and you use them, you have to do it very carefully because you can even injure your eardrum,” Farmer said.
“You may need to see your primary care provider or an ENT specialist like me for a professional cleaning if necessary. »
She says her patients come in every few months to have their ears cleaned. Untreated earwax buildup can cause earaches, ear pressure, ear infections, dizziness, or hearing loss.
“Here’s my final piece of advice,” Farmer concluded in his 2-minute clip.
“Don’t put anything smaller than your elbow into your ear canal.”
News Source : nypost.com
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