Ear wax buildup can cause some serious problems,including hearing loss, if you aren’t careful in removing the wax correctly. The process of trying to remove the ear wax can cause even more problems than leaving it alone, such as puncturing your eardrum or causing a blockage. It is very important that you remove ear wax from your ear canal in a safe way, so you can avoid serious complications like creating a blockage of ear wax that can get infected. Here are some tips for cleaning your ears safely, and effectively.

Why Does Ear wax Exist?

Ear wax is produced in the ear canal and is called cerumen. It actually has a purpose which is to protect your ear from foreign objects, dust, and microorganisms, as well as keep the ear canal from getting irritated by water. Normally, if there is extra ear wax in your ear canal, it just makes its way out of the opening in your ear and washes away.

Some people have glands that make extra ear wax, which can become hard and then block the ear canal. You can also cause the blockage yourself when you are cleaning your ears by pushing the wax deeper into your ear. Wax buildup is actually one of the most common reasons for temporary hearing loss.

If you are trying to deal with ear wax buildup at home, you should be very careful. If your ear wax problem continues, it is important to see you doctor who can generally treat the issue quickly and painlessly to restore your hearing completely.

Ear wax Buildup Causes

Since certain people tend to produce too much ear wax, that doesn’t mean they get a lot of blockage from it. Most commonly, the reason for ear wax blockage is trying to remove ear wax at home. People often use cotton swabs, or other small objects, to remove the ear wax on their own, and it ends up actually just pushing the ear wax farther back in their ears causing a blockage. Another reason for ear wax blockage comes from using earphones frequently, which can keep ear wax from coming out of your ear and your ear canals becoming blocked.

Cotton Swabs

Cotton swabs are one of the most popular tools for cleaning your ears. Since they are cheap and easy to use, it is simple to pick one up, stick it in your ear to scrape away ear wax, and then throw it away. This is actually a really bad process for your ears because your ears are actually designed to be self-cleaning.

Ear wax is actually produced in the outer third part of your ear canal, and it’s actually the way your ear cleans itself out. There are fine hairs in your ear canal that move the wax forward. They push the wax and the dead skin cells from your ear creating a clean ear canal behind it.

Most people think that the cotton swabs are actually attracting ear wax to the swab and that they are successfully removing it. In reality, the cotton swab is not moving the wax, it is just pushing it farther in.

When you first start using the cotton swab, you are only dealing with a small amount of ear wax in the canal. But the longer you use them, the more ear wax is built up, and you risk damaging your external ear canal, and reducing your hearing. It is also possible to rupture your eardrum, which is extremely fragile. If you do continue to use cotton swabs, make sure to only clean the outer third part of your ear with them.

Ear Cleaning Methods

Here are a few correct ways to clean your ears:

Hydrogen Peroxide

Another very common method of cleaning your ears is using hydrogen peroxide. It makes it easier to remove your ear wax by softening and loosening it first. That way you can remove it with a cotton ball, or just allow the now liquid wax to just drain from your ear.

This process can also make it easier for your ears to clean themselves. If you mix the hydrogen peroxide with mineral oil, it can make for a great cleaning solution. Remember not to over use hydrogen peroxide in your ears as it can irritate you skin which will then encourage your ears to make more wax. Only use it once a day, and for only a couple of days at a time to reduce dryness, irritation, and infection.

At-Home Ear Cleaning

There are certain products you can buy to help you clean your ears at home. One product to consider is the Oto-Tip which uses a patented spiral tip to remove the wax from your ear quickly and easily, and it will not damage the outer part of your ear canal. The Oto-Tip also has a safety cap that keeps you from pushing the product too far into your ear, so you can use it daily without worrying about injuring yourself.

At-Home Ear Irrigation

There are also ways to speed up the ear’s self-cleaning process by using an easy and quick at-home ear flush like this one:

• Mix equal parts warm tap water, white vinegar, and rubbing alcohol.

• Pour just a few drops into each ear canal.

• Make sure that the mixture has time to sit your ears so that the ear wax softens and loosens.

• Turn your head to the side and let the liquid drain out while using a cotton ball to catch the mixture.

If the solution actually ends up irritating your ear, try another solution, and then only when your ears require a serious cleaning.

Professional Ear Syringing

This is not a process to try at home, but to have your doctor do in the doctor’s office. It is an effective, older method that requires water squirted in your ear from a syringe with the purpose of loosening large chunks of ear wax. Once the wax is loosened, they can then remove it with tweezers, and effectively remove ear wax blockages.

In rare cases, there can be some minor damage to the ear drum or ear canal. You can also get dizzy or nauseous from the sudden water pressure and the water temperature when it is in your inner ear.

Mineral Oil

Since ear wax is made of oil, using mineral oil to remove the ear wax in your ear canal should not negatively affect your ears. It is usually best to use warm oil, preferably room temperature. The warm oil will soften and loosen the ear wax which then makes it easy for your ear to drain itself. Since it is oil, you do not need to worry about dryness or irritation, as the oil will actually protect the sensitive skin in your ear by coating it.

All you have to do is put a few drops of mineral oil in your ear, and then cover it with a cotton ball. Lay for a few minutes on your side with the covered ear facing up so the wax has time to soften. When you are ready to treat the other ear, you turn over allowing the softened wax to drain out of your ear onto the cotton ball.

It should take approximately 10 to 20 minutes to soften the wax, and if you do this once a week, that should be enough for regular cleaning, but will not work for really stubborn blockages.

Removing Water From Your Ears

If you spend a lot of time in the water, you know that water in your ear is a common occurrence. Sometimes just drying the outside of your ears with a towel will be enough, other times you will have water that gets trapped in your ear, and you will need to get it removed. Here are a few at-home remedies that you can try:

Hydrogen Peroxide

Tug on your earlobe and position your head facing down towards your shoulder. It is also helpful to move your head from side to side when you are in this position to get the water out.

Creating A Vacuum

To create a vacuum, tilt your head to the side, and place your ear into your cupped palm creating a tight seal. Softly push your hand toward your ear with a rapid back and forth motion, and flatten your hand as your push while cupping your hand as you pull away. This creates the vacuum that will pull the water out.

Hot Compress

Wet a washcloth with hot, but not scalding, water, and wring it out so it does not drip. When you tilt your head on the infected side downward, you can place the compress on the outside of ear, and leave it there for thirty seconds. Remove the compress for one minute, and then repeat the process four to five times. You may need to lie down during the process, but it will help start water drainage.

Blow Dryer

If you set your blow dryer on its lowest setting, you can hold it about a foot away from your ear while moving it back and forth. Make sure to tug on your earlobe to allow the warm air into your ear canal, so that the heat from the dryer can make the water inside your ear evaporate.

Alcohol And Vinegar Eardrops

Ear drops can be made from mixing equal parts of vinegar and alcohol. You can use three to four drops from this mixture in your ear while you softly rub the outside of your ear. After thirty seconds, tilt your head to the side, and allow the mixture to run out. Vinegar can remove trapped water because of ear wax buildup, and the alcohol can evaporate the water, as well as any bacterial growth. It is not a good idea to use this method if you have any of the following conditions:

• an ear infection

• a perforated or punctured eardrum or Eustachian tubes

Chew Or Yawn

The back of each nostril where the narrow pathway connects to the middle ear cavity can swell, and allergies or infection can block them. This can feel like water in your ears, but its not. You need to chew gum or yawn to open the tubes which can relieve the feeling in your ears.

Valsalva Maneuver

The Valsalva Maneuver works by closing your mouth, and then softly squeezing your nostril shut. You then breathe deeply, and blow the air out of your nose slowly. When you hear a popping noise, your Eustachian tubes have opened. This is a sign of a problem with your Eustachian tubes, not water in your ears, but it can feel like the same thing.

Over The Counter Medicine

There are quite a few over the counter ear drops that you can use that are effective. Most of the are alcohol-based, and they remove ear wax and debris, as well as kill bacteria.

Be Cautious

If you do not think that at-home remedies are working for you, do not start using ear swabs, or any other object to clean your ears. If you do, you can end up with:

• bacteria in your ears

• water pushed farther into your ears

• an ear canal injury

• an eardrum puncture

If you have water in your ears for up to three days, see your doctor. If you ear becomes worse, swollen or inflamed, you may have an ear infection which needs medical attention and prescription medication.

Cleaning your ears safely and effectively is important for your overall health. You don’t want to create ear wax blockages that can get infected, or puncture your eardrum and causing hearing loss. Ear wax is a natural part of your body, and is actually your body’s way of cleaning out your ears, so the less you interfere with this natural process the better.