Should you use cotton swabs to clean your ears?

When you clean your ears with a cotton swab, you risk damaging your ear drum if the swab goes too far into the ear. A study shows, that more than half of the people who visit ear, throat and nose specialists confess to using cotton swabs to clean their ears. 

A ruptured eardrum, also known as tympanic membrane perforations (TMP), is a tear in the tympanic membrane, which separates the outer ear from the inner ear. A ruptured eardrum may be accompanied by sharp ear pain, an earache, ear drainage, ear ringing or buzzing, dizziness or hearing loss. In severe cases, vertigo and facial paralysis can occur. 

A ruptured eardrum can lead to discomfort, and even though the study showed that most cases healed on their own within two months, surgery can in some cases be required. 

There are many alternatives to clean your ears without damaging them,

For example,

1.Cordless ear wax cleaner safely and easily suctions out wax.

2.Ear candling.

3.Earwax removal aid. 

4.Lighted Ear Wax.

Earwax is useful!

The glands in the external meatus secrete fluids, which mix with dead skin and dust to form wax.Cerumen is the name found in most textbooks for wax.

Earwax (cerumen) forms a protective coating of the skin in the ear canal. Small amounts are made all the time. Flakes or crusts of earwax break off and fall out of the ear from time to time.

The ear pushes this secretion out of the ear canal (self-cleaning). However this system has become inefficient, particularly when we get older.

When this happens the ear canal may become blocked and thus will need help in it's removal.

Function & Properties Of Wax

1, Acts as a lubricant, skin needs to be kept soft to provide a pliable protective surface.

2.Acidic-thought to provide a deterrent to visiting insects.

3.Reduces chances of infection by providing bacterial growth.

4. Colour variable- light brown when new, black when old and impacted.

5.Hygroscopic- absorbs water, this can leads to temporary blockage after swimming or bathing.

6. Water resistant- not easily washed away However if the earwax has become compacted and difficult to remove, the recommended advice to someone would be to visit your doctor/surgery, as suitable qualified person must do earwax removal.

Although we tend to think of earwax as ‘gunk’ it is in fact a natural substance produced by the body to protect the ear canal. Earwax contains important chemicals that support the skin inside the ear canal and collects dirt to help keep the ear canal clean.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming of the ear may be done by professionals or by home-vacuum kits. However, home "ear vacs" were ineffective at removing earwax, especially when compared to a Jobson-Horne probe.

Complications of removal

A postal survey of British general practitioners found that only 19% always performed cerumen removal themselves; many delegated the task to practice nurses, some of whom had received no instruction. It is problematic as the removal of cerumen is not without risk. Irrigation can be performed at home with proper equipment as long as the person is careful not to irrigate too hard. All other methods should only be carried out by individuals who have been sufficiently trained in the procedure.




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