Do your ears feel blocked up? Earwax can protect your ears. However, excess earwax build-up may make hearing difficult. Using cotton swabs is not a safe way to remove earwax. Here is the ultimate guide for cleaning your ears safely.
If you have the habit of your ears regularly at home, here are what you need to know:
The simple truth is, most people do not need to clean up their ears manually because our ears are meant to be self-cleaning. But if you feel that you need to help, here is the ultimate guide for cleaning your ears safely. (Beware: Cotton swab is never an option as it will only push earwax further into your ear canal and can cause infection or complications.)
(1) Using a damp cloth
Never insert an object into your ears. Using a cotton swab to clean your ears may push the ear wax deeper into the ear canal. You can wet a cloth or paper towel with lukewarm water. After squeezing out the excess water, you can use the cloth to clean the outer areas of the ears.
(2) Traditional eardrops/ Mineral Oils
You can purchase over-the-counter eardrops from pharmacies. These eardrops are solutions to soften an earwax build-up and make it loose to remove easily. Generally, they contain mineral oil, baby oil, glycerine, hydrogen peroxide, and carbamide peroxide. Please follow the instructions to place a few drops of solution into the ears. Wait a certain amount of time, then earwax will drain out from the ears.
(3) Use a syringe
You can also use a bulb syringe to irrigate your ears. Earwax can be rinsed out the ear canal gently by using lukewarm water or a warm saline solution. It will be more effective if you are the first time to use some types of wax softener 15 to 30 minutes before irrigating.
