Maintain your Ear Hygiene with these Natural Ways

Do you feel earwax is unnecessary or ever thought if it is even important enough to be present in the ear?

A natural substance, earwax (cerumen) is produced in our ear canals that protect the ears and the ear canal. Its presence is usually normal and healthy. It is produced by the body naturally and it is how the body lubricates and protects the ear.

Sometimes when earwax and other debris can build up and gets accumulated, it needs to be cleaned as it might cause hearing difficulties. People who generally clean out their ears to often can have dry, itchy ears. Using an object, such as a cotton swab, for cleaning the earwax may actually push it back into the ear and so should be avoided. Cleaning out earwax that is not causing any symptoms is not usually needed or recommended and is only if the earwax gets you feeling uncomfortable, unsightly, and, in some cases, temporarily affects your hearing.

Using a damp cloth

A person can wet a cloth or paper towel with lukewarm water. After wringing out the excess, they can use the cloth to clean the outer areas of the ear.

To clean your ears at home, a person can try one of the following methods:

• Warm Water

 Warm water also helps in getting rid of the excess ear wax. Make sure to use only clean and filtered water. This should be performed under strict supervision.

Method: Use a clean syringe drenched in warm water and pour a few drops into the ear. Leave it for a minute and then tilt your head to the other side to drain it out. Wipe away the water. 

• Oil

Earwax is similar to an oily substance. Thus, few oils can cause earwax to soften when the two substances come into contact. This remedy suggests using the oils like baby oil, coconut oil or glycerine.

Method:  Slightly warm the oil which you chose and pour it into a dropper bottle. Don’t use microwave to heat the oil. Make sure to test the temperature before putting it in your ear. Tilt your head to the side and place a few drops of oil into your ear. Keep your head tilted to the side for two minutes and repeat once or twice per day, if required.

• Saline Water

The best ear wax removal solution to be used at home is salt water. It enables the accumulated wax to soften inside the ear making it easy to clean. 

Method: In half a cup of warm water, add a teaspoon of salt until the salt gets completely dissolved. Dip a cotton ball in the solution and half-squeeze it. Tilt the affected ear upwards towards the sky. Squeeze the cotton ball to put a few drops of the saline water into the ear and stay in the same position for three to five minutes. Next, bend your head in the opposite direction to allow the saltwater to drain out. Clean the outer area of your ear with a clean cloth to remove the softened wax.

Word of caution: It is never advisable to insert an object into the ear. Make sure to not put big cotton swabs or small sharp or blunt objects into the ear.

Over to you

Since earwax serves an essential function as it keeps the ears clean of debris and bacteria and mostly earwax will naturally leave the body without interference.

Normally ear wax is not supposed to be removed unless it causes any inconvenience. Chewing the jaw and its movement pushes the earwax from the canal to the outer ear. When the earwax and dead skin it collects reaches the outer ear, it dries up and flakes off on its own. 

In case of a serious problem or blockage of ear, having a doctor or another medical professional remove the excess wax is the safest way to clear a blockage.