Better to avoid it? Why you shouldn’t use cotton swabs for ear care

Q-Tips – Yes or No?

The most common way to remove annoying ear wax from your ears is probably to use cotton swabs or Q-tips. However, ENT doctors strongly advise against this method. Using cotton swabs would only push the ear wax further into the ear canal and would definitely not remove it.

Any kind of object in the ear, even just the little finger, can potentially cause injury to the sensitive ear canal.

However, ENT doctors recommend a simple trick to keep our ears healthy and clean.

Function of earwax

Earwax does not have a good reputation. It is even considered unhygienic as soon as it becomes visible in the ear. Nevertheless, it is important when it comes to the health of our ears and should be found there in certain amounts.

The ear wax protects the ear from dirt and bacteria. This barrier can often prevent ear infections from occurring quickly.

Self-cleaning ears

The ENT doctor Dr. Christoph from Warrenon, Virginia explains that ears do not need any extra cleaning. “Ears are self-cleaning!” he tells the online magazine “SELF” and thus does not understand all the fuss about the topic of “ear cleaning”.

Jaw movements, such as when speaking, automatically ensure that the ear wax is removed from the ear canal. Therefore, no additional removal is necessary, explains Dr. Erich Voigt, professor of medicine at the NYU Langone Medical Center.

Be careful in the ear canal!

Ear specialists advise that narrow objects should never be inserted into the ear. This will only block the ear canal and can also damage sensitive structures.

There is a thin layer of tissue just in front of the eardrum. This can also be damaged if cotton swabs or similar are pushed into the ear. In the worst case, this can lead to a perforated eardrum, which impairs hearing.

Therefore, the ear should only be cleaned externally.

How useful are Q-tips and ear candles?

Hardly anyone knows it, but Q-tips should never be used to clean the ear canal. This advice can often be found on the packaging of the cotton swabs.

The basic rule: Nothing should be inserted into the ear. This could injure the ear and lead to infection.

The same applies to ear candles. The liquid wax that is dripped into the ear is supposed to suck up the earwax and then pull it out. But doctors also warn against this method. Not only is the danger of an open fire in the immediate vicinity of the ears and face a major risk, stresses Dr. Voigt, there is also the danger that the wax from the candle could flow down the ear canal to the eardrum.

Furthermore, a clear no is also given to ear wax softeners, which are usually based on mineral oil and glycerine. They melt ear wax blockages. But here too there is a risk that the melted ear wax will continue to flow towards the eardrum.

These blockages can lead to serious hearing impairment.

Clean your ears properly

Less is more!
Dr. Voigt recommends cleaning the ears only from the outside and with water. You can use a washcloth in the shower to do this, then pat the ear dry with a towel.

Cleaning should only be done on the outer ear. The auricle and the areas behind the ear can be kept clean with pH-neutral soap.

Typically, it is a human being who is in a home environment where he or she is in a closed environment. I am ear can disturb the ear canal and the natural self-cleaning process. Cotton swabs and other utensils should be avoided completely.

Important NOTE: The information in this article contains only general information. To clarify severe ear pain or poor hearing, we recommend visiting a trained and recognized ENT doctor.