Earwax is just a fact of life. We need it to protect the inner ear and lubricate the ear canal, though honestly, excess earwax can be annoying. Not only can it make it difficult to hear what's going on around you, but no one wants to find earwax on their earbuds. Cleaning your ears regularly is a part of personal hygiene, and how you do it can have a big impact on how clean your ears are. And you definitely don't want to get it wrong if you value your hearing.
Many health care professionals advise against using Q-tips to clean the inner ear, as this can push wax farther in and cause injury. Here's why self-cleaning is often preferable and how to do it safely when needed.
The truth about Q-tips
The cotton swab, better known as the Q-tip, is the most common device used for cleaning your ears. Its shortcomings illustrate the basic problems with using these types of instruments for earwax removal.
Thanks to their long, narrow shape, Q-tips are more likely to push earwax into your ear than pulling it out. When you attempt to use one to clean your ear canal, you risk simply compacting the earwax and creating a blockage that makes it harder to hear.
Worse still, if you push a Q-tip too hard or too far into your ear canal, you may actually puncture your ear drum. The ear canal is only about an inch (2.5 centimeters) deep, so there's not a lot of margin for error. One ear, nose and throat specialist CNET previously spoke with has even treated patients who seriously damaged their eardrums by answering the phone with a Q-tip sticking out of one of their ears. That's a phone call that can truly ruin your day!
In general, it's best to use cotton swabs -- or even just a tissue or damp, clean rag -- to clean the outer portion of your ear, outside the canal.
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Ear cleaning 101
As gross as we may think it is, earwax is actually essential to your ear health. According to Harvard Medical School, not only does it lubricate your ear canal and protect your eardrum, it also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It naturally protects against harmful buildup, gathering dead skin cells and dirt as it gradually moves toward your outer ear on its own.
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