Safe Ways to Clean Your Ears

Your ears are perhaps far more sensitive than you realize. If you think that your ears are filled with wax, you might stick your finger in to give them a good clear out. Or, you may tilt your head to one side in the shower to run warm water through. Warm water will certainly soften hard, firm earwax that may be blocking your ears, but it won’t ultimately have the effect that you’re searching for. What you need to do is find the safest and best ways to clean your ears. Otherwise, you will continue to have issues with a waxy build up, and you might even damage your ears trying to clean them out. So, let’s look at some of the best options.

Cotton swabs

You can use cotton swabs to clean the outside of your ear safely. Cotton swabs are soft and gentle enough to clean your ear of wax without the risk of damaging it. You should use cotton swabs to clean around the area of your ear that you can see on the outside. But beware: do not force a cotton swab down your ear in the hope of declogging some wax. All this will do is push the wax further down, deeper and it could actually make your hearing worse.

You can also consider using a damp cloth for the same purpose, cleaning the area on the outer ear. Typically, while wax in this area won’t impact your hearing, it can be itchy and look unattractive.

Earwax softeners

You can also think about using earwax softeners, and there are a number on the market to choose from. If you are using earwax softeners, make sure to look at the instructions on the bottle. Using too much of the substance could have negative effects on your ears. Usually, you will add two or three drops, directly inserted into your ear and then shortly after, rinse it out. After a couple days of treatment, you will notice substantial changes and the wax may run out when you have a shower.

Ask a professional

If you have been having trouble with your hearing and you speak to an audiologist, they might recommend that you get an ear cleaning treatment. With this professional treatment, a small tube can be inserted in your ear, and a saline solution can be used to clear out the wax. This is particularly useful if the wax in your ear is incredibly hard and firm. A professional treatment can be the best and most effective option in this case.

Using a syringe

Alternatively, a syringe can be used for more or less the same effect. Filling the syringe with water or saline solution, the ears can be carefully and gently rinsed out in no time at all. When you’re finished, you should be able to hear a lot more effectively. If you are however still having hearing issues, this suggests that it is being caused by something that cannot be cleaned out. If that’s the case, it’s worth speaking to a professional once more to find the cause.