Do You Need to Clean Your Ears?

Earwax is a natural substance produced by the body to protect and maintain the health of the ear canal. However, in some instances, it can accumulate excessively, leading to issues like discomfort, reduced hearing clarity or even an increased risk of ear infections. While the ear canal generally has a self-cleaning mechanism to manage earwax, there are times when professional care is needed to address excessive buildup and ensure ear health is properly maintained. But is this necessary? And what can you do for ear cleaning?

Earwax is Helpful

Earwax isn’t something to be seen as a problem; it plays an important role in maintaining ear health. It acts as the body’s natural cleaning system, helping to remove dirt and dead skin cells from the ear canal. The wax serves as a lubricant, a water barrier and a cleaning agent, ensuring the ear canal stays healthy. As you chew and speak, the muscles in your jaw shift the earwax along. This naturally pushes it along the ear canal, picking up the dirt and dead skin as it goes. Eventually, the earwax will be pushed out of your ear canal entirely. It can then be washed or wiped away, often when you wash your hair.

Issues with Ear Cleaning at Home

One common method of cleaning your ears is to use a cotton swab. However, this can cause more harm than good. Cotton swabs are designed to wipe the outside of your ear canal and pick up any wax that has been deposited there. However, if you insert the cotton swab into your ear, you can damage the delicate skin and hair follicles that line your ear canal. You can also interfere with the natural flow of the earwax, causing it to clump together. This might cause impacted earwax. If you notice a buildup of wax, schedule an appointment with an audiologist.

If You Need Ear Cleaning

The best option for ear cleaning is to make an appointment with a professional audiologist. Some people produce too much earwax, which means it builds up and gets impacted. Earwax can also dry out too soon, so it gets stuck in your ear canal, which also causes a blockage.

An audiologist is trained to remove excess wax as well as anything else that might be blocking your ears. They can also inspect your ears for damage after performing an ear cleaning service.

This is especially important if you’ve experienced hearing loss. While it’s often a temporary issue when caused by earwax, there may be an underlying issue other than impacted earwax causing your hearing loss. If you ever notice issues with your ears or hearing, it’s a good idea to see an audiologist.

Your audiologist can offer specific advice to help you care for your ears. If you do have excessive wax, you may need another ear cleaning session soon. If you want to learn more about cleaning your ears consult an audiologist, they will be able to examine your ears to asses the problem and find the right solution for you.