Just like our Nose, mouth, and our skin. Our ears require regular hygiene. Essential for hearing and balance, the ears are sensitive organs that require appropriate care. If we don’t clean our ears, we risk ending up with excess earwax, creating a blockage, and hindering our ability to hear clearly.
So, it is very important to clean your ears. But, actually, how often should you clean them, and what is the best way to cleaning? Some people say that you should clean your earwax every day. Others say once in a week is totally enough.
Others think that professional cleaning twice a year is ideal. And finally, Those who think they are it is not necessary at all. The question now is who is right. But before that, it is important to know what earwax is. and to understand how and why earwax is produced in our ears
The Development Of Earwax
Earwax is a yellowish, waxy substance produced by glands in the ear canal to protect the ear. Scientists don’t know exactly why our bodies produce earwax. This substance has both lubricating and antibacterial properties. Earwax also traps dust and other small particles and prevents them from reaching and possibly damaging or infecting the eardrum.
Normally, the wax dries and falls out of the ear along with any trapped dust or debris. In other words, earwax is self-cleaning, so it is not necessary to clean your ears to remove it. Jaw movement when we eat, for example, is enough to get rid of earwax naturally. Besides, even though earwax seems like a dirty and disgusting substance, it endures good hygiene in your ears. In other words, it is not necessary to clean the ear canal of the ear and is not advisable to do so.
Those who think you should never clean your ear are not completely wrong
In fact, if you really feel the need to clean your ears, focusing on the outer parts of the ear is more than enough. If you respect this rule, regular cleaning is perfectly healthy and respectful of hygiene. On the other hand, it happens that ear wax accumulates and compacts in the ear canal, which can cause hearing problems. The phenomenon is called ear canal obstruction or impaction. And if this happens, this is when it is really necessary to clean the ear canal of the blocked ear.
Although there are several methods of treating a blocked ear canal yourself, the best way to clean an ear blocked with dried earwax is to call a professional. The latter should recommend drops to put in the ear or unblocking sessions using a water jet. Furthermore, it is very important to know that you should definitely not insert a cotton swab into your ears when you have an earwax blockage, or even when you do not have one. In fact, cotton swabs push earwax deeper into the ear. This encourages the formation of a wax blockage.
Washing your ears every day is not necessary
On the contrary, too frequent cleaning promotes irritation and infections, a yellowish waxy substance secreted in the external ear canal, earwax, protects the ear and helps eliminate microbes, bacteria, and other impurities likely to lodge inside. This is why it is not recommended to clean the ear daily, especially since many people make the mistake of pushing the cotton swab deeply into the ear canal
Why is it important to wash your ears?
The ear produces an oily, yellowish, or brownish substance: cerumen, more commonly called earwax, secreted by ceruminous glands located in the wall of the external ear canal. Ear Wax provides the canal and eardrum with protection against bacteria. But, then, it is useful for our health.
Why do we need to clean our ears despite its protective role on the other hand? Earwax can on the other hand be the cause of various inconveniences. Indeed, the ear’s ability to naturally direct earwax outward can be affected by multiple factors. If it accumulates in the ear canal, an earwax blockage can form and cause certain complications.
At least as often as possible!
Since the skin in the ear tube is very fragile. It can thus become irritated and infected if you have normal ear wax production. You should clean your ear as infrequently as possible, in any case, not more than once a week. Since we can’t see the inside of our ears, it is recommended to cover your little finger with a tissue and pass it across the entrance to the tube, if there are deposits, we can then carry out a little cleaning without going to the bottom
Nature is well-made
But it is not essential, nature is well made. If we do nothing, the earwax will flow out naturally and there will be no Problem. However, some people produce too much earwax. In this case, if we ignore cleaning for too long, earwax risks accumulating and creating a blockage that can lead to hearing loss. It is necessary to clean your ear to preserve your hearing ability.
Care for the external part of the ear
A quick wash in warm water
Earwax is a protective and antiseptic layer which is essential, these steps should simply allow the excess from the external orifice to be removed for aesthetic purposes. It is possible to carry out a quick wash with lukewarm water in the shower, be careful, however not to do it systemically, because the ear canal is not designed to receive water constantly, to be reminded. This is also why in Summer. when you bathe for a long time and often, it is not uncommon to suffer from ear infections.
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Conclusion
To conclude, cleaning the outer parts of the ears should be done according to an Individual preference. But when it comes to the ear canal, you should only touch it when it is blocked. For effective and risk-free ear cleaning, or to clean your ears correctly and safely. You should avoid using cotton swabs, as they risk causing irritation, earwax blockage, or even eardrum injuries. Indeed, its size, shape, and texture mean it tends to repel earwax and pack it deep into the ear canal. If there is abundant earwax production, your doctor or hearing care professional can advise you on a suitable cleaning spray. All you have to do is spray the product into the ear and ensure even distribution using small massages with your fingertips, the product then breaks up the earwax particles.
References
Keane EM, Wilson H, McGrane D, et al. Use of solvents to disperse ear wax. Br J Clin Pract 1995;49:71–72. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Sharp JF, Wilson JA, Ross L, et al. Earwax removal: a survey of current practice. BMJ. 1990;301:1251-1253. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.301.6763.1251
