If you asked a friend or family member how they clean their ears, albeit an odd conversation, there’s a pretty good chance they’d tell you they use a cotton swab, right? Believe it or not, they’re making a big mistake. And so are you, if you use cotton swabs to clean your ears.
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If you have a box of swabs handy at home, take a minute to read the packaging. You might be surprised to find that, right there on the box, there’s a warning that reads, “Do not insert swab into ear canal.” While a small cotton swab may seem harmless, it can actually do a lot of damage. The eardrum is very delicate, so plunging a cotton swab into your ear to scoop up earwax is risky at best. Underneath the eardrum lies the tiniest bones in the body — the hammer, anvil and stirrup, also called the malleus, incus and stapes. By inserting a cotton swab into your ear, you can end up pressing on these tiny bones and sending vibrational waves into the inner ear, which can cause problems with hearing and balance.
Under normal circumstances, earwax is produced only in the outer one-third of your ear canal. One of the primary risks of cotton swabs is that they push the earwax into the deeper part of your ear canal, near the eardrum. When earwax is pushed deep into your ear where it doesn’t belong, it can bring fungus, bacteria and viruses from the outer ear into the inner ear, increasing the risk of infection. It can also block your ear canal, leading to hearing loss or even a ruptured ear drum.
So how can you remove earwax, safely?
The simplest way to do this is to soften the wax by placing a few drops of olive oil, coconut oil or water in your ear. Next, pour a capful of 3% hydrogen peroxide in each ear to flush wax out. You may hear some bubbling and possibly feel a slight stinging sensation. Once this subsides, after about five minutes, drain onto a tissue and repeat with the other ear.
It’s worth noting that earwax is beneficial for your ears. It helps trap dirt and other irritants from entering your ears. But if you notice an excessive wax buildup, it may be a sign that something isn’t quite right. Excess buildup of earwax can often be traced back to an omega-3 deficiency. If this is the case, add more omega-3s to your diet such as sardines, anchovies and wild-caught Alaskan salmon or take a high-quality animal-based omega-3 supplement like krill oil.