Why You Shouldn't Clean Your Ear With A Ear Cleaning Bud

Using an ear cleaning bud to clean your ears is a bad idea.

What most people don’t realise is the damage they’re causing to their ears by this simple mistake.

Ear buds only push the wax further into your ear. This can result in a damaged ear drum or in extreme cases, even deafness. Doctors don’t recommend cotton swabs or ear cleaning buds as the ears clean themselves naturally.

First Off, What’s Ear Wax?

Ear wax is a normal skin secretion in the ear canal. It’s meant to protect the inner ear from infections and water damage. Eventually, the ear wax dries up and falls out of the ear by itself, carrying dirt and sloughed off skin with it.

Why Do People Use Ear Cleaning Buds?

Ear wax collects in the ear canal as part of the natural cleaning process of the ear.

When it accumulates, people tend to use ear cleaning buds to clean off what they feel is excess wax as it sometimes causes itching and partial hearing loss. They simply want to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling without visiting a doctor.

It seems like an easy solution to a problem. Some people also use ear cleaning buds just because they enjoy the feeling.

Ear Cleaning Buds Can Be Deadly

The cotton swab reaches the eardrum and poses a high risk of injury.

The ear drum is very delicate and can easily be punctured.

A punctured eardrum can cause extreme pain and even deafness.

A cotton swab pushes the wax deeper into the ear canal and impacts the eardrum. When a lot of ear wax gathers near the eardrum, it doesn’t vibrate as it should and this eventually causes deafness.

Use A Safer Way To Get Rid of Excess Ear Wax

If you have excess ear wax in your ears, you need to visit a doctor who’ll remove it with a little peroxide. This procedure is painless.

If the production of excess ear wax becomes a frequent problem, you can ask your doctor about what you can do to overcome the problem. At times, based on your doctor’s recommendations, ear drops can be used to soften the wax and aid in its removal.