Many people use Q-tips to clean the wax out of their ears, but are Q-tips safe?  According to research by the American Academy of Otolaryngology, our good intentions of keeping our ears clean by using Q-tips may be risking our ability to hear.  The ear is a delicate and intricate area.  The skin of the ear canal and the eardrum is incredibly sensitive and easily damaged.  In fact, the research reports that cerumen or earwax is healthy in normal amounts and serves as a self-cleaning agent with protective, lubricating and antibacterial properties.  The absence of earwax may result in dry, itchy ears.  

Ear canals are generally self-cleaning; they slowly and orderly migrate the earwax and skin cells from the eardrum to the ear opening.  Old earwax is constantly being moved and the transportation of earwax is assisted by chewing and the motion of the jaw.  The ear normally rids itself of earwax by moving it from the ear canal to the ear opening where it dries, flakes, and falls out.  

Ear wax is actually formed in the outer one-third of the ear canal, so when an individual has earwax that is blocking their eardrum, it is usually due to probing the ear with a Q-tip, bobby pin or other cleaning device.  In fact, wax blockage is one of the most common causes of hearing loss; this is caused by attempts to clean the ear with cotton swabs.  Cleaning attempts with cotton swabs or Q-tips only serve to push the wax deeper into the ear canal and cause blockage.  Ameritech College reports that our ears should never have to be cleaned by us manually unless enough earwax accumulates to cause symptoms or prevents an ear exam by a doctor.  

Medical professionals from Ameritech College report that to clean our ears we should only wash the external ear with a cloth.  Inserting anything into the actual ear canal can be damaging.  If the wax inside your ear is bothering you, doctors recommend placing a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil, or glycerin in the ear.  Hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide may also safely aid in the removal of wax.  The study mentions that if too much ear wax is becoming a concern, an individual should see their doctor for a professional cleaning that will not damage their inner ear and result in hearing loss.

If you are interested in learning more about how to properly care for and clean your ears, consider visiting Ameritech College today, or go online for more information.  The safety and health of you and your family can be improved by educating yourself through Ameritech College.