Stop Cleaning Your Ears
You rarely, if ever, need to remove earwax yourself. Earwax is good! I know it. I am really. And yet— though I know better —sometimes I can’t resist the urge to use a cotton swab and clean my ears myself. Here’s what to know if you’re like me and sometimes go too far when trying to clean your ears by hand.
You really shouldn’t use cotton swabs to clean your ears.
There is a lot of confusion (or deliberate denial) about how to take care of our ears. We’ve previously covered how to properly care for your ears and earwax , and the main takeaway is that you should always avoid sticking Q-tips in your ear.
It is rarely necessary to remove earwax on your own. Our ears are self-cleaning and earwax is important in protecting the outer ear from infection and injury. Moreover, using cotton swabs to clean the inside of the ears can cause a variety of ear complications.
And still. We are here.
What to do if you feel pain
So, what to do if you brazenly ignored medical wisdom and now feel the pain of cleaning your ears? In the short term, you can use over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. According to Healthline , if your ear pain doesn’t go away after three days, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
Generally speaking, you don’t usually need to see a doctor for ear cleaning. However, sometimes earwax can build up or become too hard to remove naturally, even if you don’t use cotton swabs in your ear.
When to see a doctor about your ears
If you feel a sudden sharp pain while using a cotton swab, you may have an ear injury in which case you need professional treatment. Even if you haven’t used a cotton swab lately, make an appointment with your doctor to have your ears checked if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- ear pain
- ears that feel clogged or plugged in
- discharge from the ear, such as pus or blood
- heat
- muffled hearing
- hearing loss
- ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- dizziness or dizziness
These symptoms may mean a healthcare professional needs to remove a buildup of earwax, or they may indicate another health problem.
Best Treatment: Stop Cleaning Your Ears
Ear cleaning is a vicious cycle: irritated ears produce more wax. There is an old saying that you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. It does not need to be cleaned, and this can lead to serious complications. If you need to clean your ears by hand, check out our guide to alternative ear cleaning methods (that don’t use a cotton swab). Also, see your doctor if you experience ear pain, a feeling of stuffy ears, or hearing loss.