Do you remember as a child being told never to put anything in your ears smaller than your elbow? I used to wonder how anyone could put their elbow in their ears. Mine wouldn’t fit. Earwax is a natural substance called cerumen that protects the tissues and structures of your ear canal. This waxy substance traps dirt and inhibits the growth of bacteria within the ear canal.
Some of us make too much earwax and it becomes hard and may actually cause a blockage within the ear canal. It is important that we do not stick anything in our ears to clean out the built up wax. Many of us are guilty of inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal to clean out the ear. The problem with inserting a swab is that the inserting and twisting of the swab causes the wax to be packed down into the ear.
When the earwax becomes impacted against the ear drum you may experience an earache and hearing loss. The only way you will know if you really have a problem with hardened or impacted earwax is to be examined by your doctor. Your doctor will look into your ear with an otoscope to visualize the condition of your ear and the amount of wax there. It could be there is no buildup of wax and the problem is something else entirely, so it is better to have a doctor or healthcare practitioner look inside your ear, than to do something drastic on your own.
My daughter heard somewhere that excess wax could be removed by flushing the ear with hydrogen peroxide. She did this a number of times without my knowing it. She then comes to me saying she has an earache. When her doctor looked into her ear, she found much irritation on the inside and a perforated eardrum. Her doctor asked what she had been putting in her ear, and she confessed using the peroxide. She learned the hard way not to take matters into her own hands without the advice of her doctor. The hydrogen peroxide, in itself wasn’t so bad but it was never flushed out and that caused a moist area ripe for the growth of bacteria.
One way your doctor can remove earwax is by using a small spoon-like instrument called a curette. I’ve had this done and I am always a little nervous when this method is used on me. Another method is much more comfortable for me, and that is by flushing the ear with water. It can be done with a water pick or a bulb syringe. If you have a problem with earwax on a regular basis your doctor may order an earwax removal medication, such as Murine ear drops. Your doctor may suggest you instill the drops in your ears once every two weeks or more or less often according to the wax problem within your ears.
Remember, it is never safe to insert a solid object, such as a cotton swab, bobby pin, or paper clip into your ear. Your doctor may suggest a self-care routine to clean your ears as needed when wax builds up. First you might want to use a few drops of baby oil or mineral oil morning and night for about 5 days. When the ear wax is believed to be softened, irrigate your ear with warm water squirted from a bulb syringe. You will need to tilt your head so that the water will run out of the ear to flush the wax out. When you are done irrigating your ear canal, pat your ear on a towel with your head tilted to drain the water out. To dry the inside of your ear, you can use a hair dryer to blow in the direction of your ear canal. Some doctors may also suggest that you instill a few drops of alcohol into the ear canal and then let it drain out. The evaporation from the alcohol will dry the ear. I have not used the alcohol, but the hair dryer works well for me.
Sources: Mayo Clinic information page
Personal experience
