Cleaning your ears is a good hygiene practice, but you don’t need to do it regularly. This is because your ears clean themselves, and attempting to clean them too often can actually be harmful, as it can push the earwax further into the ear canal, causing more harm than any good.
Therefore, if you’re someone who is constantly using a cotton swab or a Q-tip to clean your ears, then reconsider your actions.
Role Of Earwax
Earwax, medically known as cerumen, is normal and occurs naturally within the ear. According to StatPearls Publishing, it protects the ear from infection and provides a barrier to insects and water. While earwax usually clears itself naturally through jaw movements, sometimes this doesn’t work, leading to earwax buildup.
Doctors usually diagnose it by looking in the ear with a special tool called an otoscope, but sometimes they need a microscope for removal. But you shouldn’t attempt to clean the earwax on your own.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Cotton Swabs In Your Ears
“One should not use a cotton swab or Q-tip to remove the wax from their ears, as wax is protective against microorganisms, and follow the hair inside the ear to come out itself,” Dr Col Inderdeep Singh, Consultant – ENT, Jupiter Hospital, Baner, Pune, told OnlyMyHealth.
He added, “The risks (of removing earwax) are trauma or injury to the eardrum and external canal skin. Pushing the existing wax inside the external canal towards the eardrum can also cause impaction, damaging the self-cleaning mechanism of earwax.”
Additionally, using cotton swabs to clean earwax can also cause infection inside the ear and lead to skin changes, which leads to ear itching and eczema due to dryness.
Dr Singh warns that cotton swabs can increase the risk of ear infections-both bacterial and fungal. He explains this is due to two main reasons: swabs can disrupt the ear’s natural defences in the earwax, and contaminated swabs can directly introduce infection, particularly fungal infections, called otomycosis. This is because cotton absorbs moisture, creating an environment where fungi can thrive, especially during rainy seasons. He also cautions that using swabs can cause tiny injuries at the base of hair follicles in the ear canal, leading to painful boils known as otitis externa.
Safer Alternatives For Cleaning Earwax Buildup
The safest option to clean the ear is by wiping with a clean towel or cloth within one cm of the ear canal external opening.
If you have excessive earwax buildup or if your ears are bothering you, see your doctor. They can safely remove earwax and check for any other problems.
“Whenever there is itching or pain while cleaning the ear, one must show it to an ENT doctor. Also, when one gets a blocked ear feeling or hearing loss or any discharge or blood, they should consult a doctor,” Dr Singh advised.

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