Why You Should NOT Clean Your Ears with a Cotton Swab

There are some people that swear by sticking a cotton swab (Q-Tip) into their ears to remove excess wax and debris. Anyone in the medical field can tell you that they have seen many catastrophes resulting from using cotton swabs. From punctured ear drums to super impacted wax, there are many negative consequences associated with "do-it-yourself" ear cleaning.

There are a number of "bad" items that people use to clean their ears, some of the most interesting seen in the doctor's office are:

• cotton swabs (q-tips)
• hair pins
• tweezers
• pens and pencils
• straws
• paper clips
• children's toys

The ear canal has specialized cells that produce cerumen, commonly known as ear wax. For some people, ear wax accumulates must faster than others. This can lead to wax build-up that causes decreased ability to hear and ni some instances, pain.  As an easy way to avoid seeing a medical professional, many folks resort to using swabs to remove the excess wax. while this may seem like an excellent alternative to spending countless minutes waiting in a doctor's office waiting room, using a cotton swab may do more harm than good.

The ear drum is easily reached with a swab. Because the ear drum is so delicate, it can be easily ruptured by using even the gentlest pressure when using a swab. Ask anyone who has experienced a punctured ear drum - it isn't a pleasant experience. The pain is quite severe and the ear may also leak a clear fluid.  While a punctured ear rum will heal, it typically takes awhile and can even lead to conductive hearing loss.

So this leaves us with the question, do we really need to clean out our ears? The answer is a little confusing, as both a "yes" and a "no" are appropriate.  The outer ear that can be sen does need a good cleaning every now and then. This can be accomplished with a little soap, water and a washcloth.

In most cases, the ear canal does not need to be cleaned. During hair washing or showers, enough water enters into the ear canal to loosen the wax that has accumulated. Additionally, the skin in your ear canal naturally grows in an outward, spiral pattern. As it sloughs off, ear wax goes with it. most of the time the wax will loosen and fall out on its own while you are asleep. The need for a cotton swab isn't really necessary.

For those that have heavy wax build-up, a trip to the doctor may be needed. Doctors can easily remove ear wax in various ways.  Never stick anything into your ear canal, including your own fingers. This could further impact the wax or damage the ear drum. As a good rue of thumb, if you aren't  sure if what you are doing is safe, contact a health professional.