How to Clean Your Ears

How often do you clean your ears?

If your ears naturally produce a lot of earwax then you may experience the inconvenience of it plugging the earmold of your hearing device. Indeed, even those who don’t use a hearing aid can suffer discomfort from excessive wax buildup.

Rather than just being a nuisance, earwax does serve a useful purpose. This yellow waxy substance, also known as cerumen, forms a protective layer over the skin lining the ear canal. This keeps the skin moisturized whilst shielding it in from attack by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Indeed, too little earwax and the ears are liable to feel hot and itchy inside.

Your ears self-clean

The ear should be self-cleaning, as there is a delicate mechanism called a ‘wax elevator’ which slowly progresses wax produced deep within the ear canal, bringing it up to the surface. This is a clever way of removing dust and debris that has got inside the ear canal. However, if the ear manufactures too large a quantity or the use of ear plugs interferes with the elevator, then the system can break down and wax accumulate.

A build up of wax can physically plug the ear canal with the effect of dulling hearing. In addition, if the wax becomes packed down (such as happens with the use of Q-tips) this causes discomfort and can lead to an infection developing.

What happens if wax builds up

Never use cotton swabs (such as Q-tips) to clean your ears, as they act as a ram to push wax deeper into the canal rather than scooping it out. With regular use this impacts wax and can create solid deposits lodged on top of the eardrum which then dulls hearing.

How often to clean the ears depend on the individual and how much wax you produce. For most people cleaning once a week or fortnightly is sufficient, as overzealous cleaning can accidentally strip away that protective waxy layer leaving the canal vulnerable to attack.

Routine cleaning should be done with a clean washcloth, to wipe away excess wax from the entrance to the ear canal. This is safe to do regularly after a shower since you are not inserting anything down into the ear canal.

Weekly maintenance 

For safe cleaning if for mild to moderate earwax producers instill a few drops of a mineral oil based cleaner into the canal once or twice a week. This softens and loosens the wax, helping it to come up to the surface more easily.

If you produce a lot of wax then purchase an over the counter cleaner that contains carabamide peroxide. Use this once or twice a month, but no more, as over use can dry the skin of the ear canal. When cleaning the ears, it’s definitely a case of getting the balance right. If you have questions about cleaning your ears or what products to use, don’t hesitate to contact your hearing care provider!