As you all perhaps know, earwax is made in the ear canal’s outer side, the area between the outside of the middle ear and the head.

Although many doctors and experts don’t recommend cotton swabs, and people keep raising awareness in this regard, people literally have the urge to use them for cleaning their ears without a second thought.

But is it even necessary? I know you’re thinking, “of course it is; how can we let so much wax accumulated and stuck in our ear?”

But let me tell you a fact: they actually don’t need to be cleaned from inside at all! Using cotton swabs even worsens this whole process and can have highly harmful effects. Instead, you can use some alternatives if you cannot stop yourself from cleaning your ear.

To find out all about the alternatives for cleaning and the earwax: three reasons to put down the cotton swab, keep reading!

Discover Reasons Not To Make Use Of Cotton Swab To Clean Earwax!

1. Cotton swabs lead to more harm

Do you often feel like you have so much buildup of earwax? Well, just don’t opt for a cotton swab in order to throw it out because this isn’t a useful wax extractor.

While pushing, most people even go very deep in the ear by mistake. Remember, our ears have a lot of turns and twists, and once this wax is pushed into a particular area, that specific conveyor belt stops working.

Once it gets to the ear’s inner part, it will be stuck, and you won’t be able to get it out unless you go to the doctor. So, always use tools that are made for this purpose and don’t cause harm.

2. Ears naturally clean themselves

Many people are unaware of the fact that ears normally do a great job cleaning themselves. Therefore, no extra care is needed.

Don’t go deep into how do ears clean themselves. Only remember that this natural cleaning system never lets your ear have any hygiene problems, and this is something super magical to know.

This wax lubricates the ear, and just like the belt, it captures all the bacteria and dirt from the ear canal entrance and slides out this wax on its own.

3. There are other safer earwax removal alternatives

Why would anyone miss out on the other alternatives that are safe and choose the harmful ones?

Unfortunately, people still do this knowing that cotton swab isn’t good.

Our recommendation for ear care is to begin by doing absolutely nothing and let it clean itself.

This method will work for most people. Anyhow, if it seems like it has uncontrolled wax and your ear feels clogged and pressurized, this can be an issue.

Try out the following methods for perfect earwax removal:

• Commercial earwax softener: Wax softeners can help maintain the liquid consistency of the earwax and allow it to move out easily.
• Use baby oil or mineral oil: You can place some drops of baby or mineral oil once or twice a week before bed and utilize the cotton ball in order to prevent it from seeping onto the pillow while sleeping.

But is it bad to have no ear wax? Yes, it can have very dangerous effects and allow infections. So, don’t over-clean the ear, either. As we mentioned, it’ll be cleaned out naturally.

How To Clean Your Child’s Ears Safely

A gentle and soft wipe of the ear’s outer portion with a little damp cloth will be enough for little ears. Avoid cleaning the inner area of the ear with the cotton swab to avoid issues in the ear canal. Moreover, you must resist any harmful methods that can lead to ear infections.

Below are the dangerous methods you shouldn’t use:

• Using suction and at-home scooping devices can be extremely harmful.
• Dont use anything that can scratch the inside sensitive side of the ear.
• Avoid flushing the ear of your child with liquid, especially when not recommended by a doctor.
• Making use of soap to clean the earwax must not be in your head as it can disrupt the ear canal’s pH balance and lead to harmful infections.
• Certain behaviours can also increase the production of earwax that everyone should avoid, like heavy use of headphones, earplugs, and earbuds. Ultimately, it can trigger your ear and make it unable to protect itself and start making lots of wax as a result. In this case, set your aim to keep all these devices away to minimize the risks of infection.
• Ear candling can also be a trouble-some and ineffective measure that is not good for your ear.

Should I Call My Doctor? If Yes, When?

If you or your child are having the following issues, don’t forget to visit your doctor before it’s too late:

• Hearing issues
• Pain in the ear
• Discomfort and itchiness
• Feelings of ear blockage for the long run

To combat these problems, doctors sometimes remove earwax if:

• It affects your hearing
• It’s uncomfortable and painful
• You are having problems near the eardrum

Removing earwax is generally done in the office of the doctor. There may be a bit of discomfort, but it will not be painful at all.

Our Takeaway

For the sake of the health of your ear, it’s time to speak against the cotton swabs that have put our ears at huge risk. And using them regularly for personal hygiene is just like doing injustice with your ear. This can even reach your ear canal and cause serious injuries.

However, despite all the awareness, most people are still not willing to stop its usage. But now that you know how dangerous its outcome can be and acknowledged our guide to earwax: three reasons to put down the cotton swab, we hope you’ll be considering other alternatives for cleaning the earwax instead of cotton swabs.