Cleaning out impacted ear wax11/15/2023 ![]() ![]() Other things you put in your ears-such as hearing protection, earbuds from headphones, or hearing aids-can also drive the wax further into your ear canal, Pourasef says. More likely: Using a cotton swab pushed that wax deeper in your ear, from the canal to the eardrum. “If wax starts to get impacted, it’s very, very rare that it magically crawled toward your eardrum on its own,” she says. Pushing that bud into your ear drives earwax into the canal, which can lead to excess earwax or an earwax blockage.Įarwax is only produced in the outer third of your ear canal (that’s about the length of the first joint in your pinky), explains Audiologist Elly Pourasef, of Houston’s Memorial Hearing. Paradoxically, one of the reasons you may need your ears cleaned out is if you have a habit of digging around with a Q-tip. That said, there are some circumstances where cleaning may be merited-here’s what you need to know about when to visit a pro for an ear cleaning, and what to expect during the process. “Generally speaking, the ear is self-cleaning and able to naturally free itself of cerumen and debris,” says audiologist Amy Sarow. But for most people, ear cleanings-whether at home with a Q-tip, or in a clinic setting-simply aren’t necessary. And yet: You’re far from alone if you dive in with a cotton swab after every shower.Ībout 90 percent of people believe their ears should be cleaned, and according to one survey in England, around 68 percent of people regularly use cotton buds to do so. Q-tips shouldn’t be used to clean your ears (in fact, it even says so on the box). If there’s an audiologist nearby when you approach your ear with a cotton swab, they’ll advise that you drop it.
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