How to keep ears clean without posing risk to hearing
Ears are very important for many of us. They allow us to hear the world around us. It is also important to keep the ears clean. It can be tricky to know how to keep ears clean without posing a risk to ones hearing. Clean ears help with hearing, but cleaning ears the wrong way can actually damage hearing.
There are two reasons to clean ears, the first, because there is dirt on, in, or around them. The second reason is to get rid of the wax that can build up in the ears. Clean ears are less likely to get infected, but doing it right is very important.
Getting the dirt off or out of the ears is best done in the bath or shower with clean water. Using dirty water can cause infection, and should be avoided. Use water and soap to get the ear clean of dirt. Do not put anything into the ear as this can cause hearing damage. To really get stubborn dirt off the ears, use a clean cloth or clean hands to free the dirt. Be sure to get into any folds or creases behind the ears, especially in young children.
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Cleaning the outer part of the ear will usually pose no risk hearing. It is when the ear canal or the inner part of the ear is cleaned that there can be risk to hearing. When cleaning out the dirt there usually is not much down in the ears, except maybe someone who plays or works in dirt all day long. When there is dirt down in the ear canal be sure to not use any kind of sharp object to get the dirt, like keys or hairpins. Even blunt object like Q-tips can risk hearing loss. Some hearing specialist even warn against cleaning the ears with fingers, because the fingers can carry infection. Use water but avoid spraying water into the ears as the force may damage the eardrum, risking a loss to hearing.
The other reason for wanting to clean ears is the earwax that can build up in the ear. This may need more that just water to remove. But still it is not a good idea to put anything into the ear canal. Earwax can be good for the ears. Ears need some earwax to help fight off infection. This is why there is earwax in the ears to begin with. But if there is too much earwax, then there is a risk too hearing.
To clean out really bad earwax, one should see a doctor. The doctor can use a microscope and see where he's going in the ear and safely get out the problem earwax. It is best to have someone who can see what they are doing in the ear with good lighting, so go to a doctor to get out really bad earwax buildup.
If it is just a periodic ear cleaning that the ears need, there are two methods that are safe on the ears. There hasn't been research done on these two methods, but they do clean out the ears without posing a risk to hearing. The first is to put a few drops of clean olive oil into the ear. Lie down for a few minutes and then turn the head to let it drain out. Do this on each ear a couple of times a week and it should do the trick of keeping the earwax from building up in the ears.
The other method is to put clean hydrogen peroxide in the ears in the same manner as the olive oil. This should be done about once or twice a month. When using olive oil or hydrogen peroxide, is what they do is loosen the earwax so it can fall out easily. With the peroxide, the earwax will be white. Be sure to use a towel with either one.
The main thing to remember when cleaning the ears without posing a risk to ones hearing is to not put any object into the ear. Use clean water and soap. Use olive oil or hydrogen peroxide to clean deep down in the ear. Or go to a doctor and safely have the earwax removed.
