Some individuals swear by their cotton swabs, while others recommend using ear candles. Perhaps you hold the opinion that cleaning your ears is a waste of time.
Putting something inside your ear is about the only thing on which physicians can agree. Your ears often take care of themselves well and don’t require any further maintenance. To soften or eliminate earwax from the exterior of your ear canals is the only reason you should clean them. And you’ll need to know how to do it wisely if you’re going to accomplish it.
Why Your Ears Make Wax
Cerumen, often known as earwax, is the material that makes us feel tempted to clean our ears. Its production by your body is natural and actually aids in lubricating and protecting your ears. It’s likely that your ears would be scratchy and dry if earwax weren’t there.
The fact that it even has antibacterial qualities makes your ears self-cleaning. A filter for your ears, earwax prevents dangerous substances like dirt and dust from entering by trapping them.
Old earwax is moved from the ear canal to the ear aperture when you eat and move your jaw. It typically dries up and falls out there. However, the outside portion of your ear canal is where earwax is created, not the deep region.
Thus, the only way you would have an earwax obstruction next to your eardrum is if you attempted to clean your ears with a cotton swab or similar object and forced the wax in farther.
Other severe issues that might arise from swabbing or inserting pointed things inside your ears include:
- Infection
- Rupture of the eardrum
- Significant hearing loss
