Soft Swabs Hard Lessons A Cautionary Tale of Cotton and Ear Care
Soft Swabs Hard Lessons A Cautionary Tale of Cotton and Ear Care. Ever wondered if your ear-cleaning routine is doing you more harm than good?
Cotton Earbuds have been used as the go-to cleaning tool for ears ever since its invention in 1923. The medical concerns over their use emerged as early as 1972. With cases of cerumen impaction and other conditions being reported. Today, even though the manufacturers have been warning explicitly against using cotton swabs to clean ears for over half a century. They continue to be a household staple.
Recently, a customer here at Discretion Hearing believed their hearing was on the decline in one ear. With the issue worsening after swimming on holiday.
After booking an appointment with us, they were relieved to find that their hearing loss was due to a simple blockage caused by earwax and remnants of cotton buds. We carried out a cleaning service, and their hearing was fully restored, but this got us thinking.
With cotton buds still being widely used, what are the negative long-term effects of them? And what are some better ways to go about cleaning your ears?
Earbuds: Your Ear’s frenemy in disguise?
Here at Discretion Hearing, we are no strangers to the instant relief felt after using a cotton earbud to remove pesky wax build-up. But it’s important to note that this relief is only temporary, and can do a lot more damage in the long run.
A quick look at these earbuds is evidence enough for us that they’re not suitable to be effective or safe for removing ear wax from the ear canal. For starters, the cotton bud is too big to be inserted into the human ear canal, which is arguably the most compact and sensitive part of the body.
Also, earbuds lack flexibility, meaning they can’t bend around the delicate and tiny contours of the ear. The outer ear can also be damaged, especially around the ear canal. Frequent use can result in ear infections, bleeding and other issues which can lead to temporary, or in critical cases, perpetual loss of hearing.
The Problem: What could happen?
Lots of people who suffer from earwax problems try to use earbuds to clear the build-up from their ear canal, and while this may provide a superficial removal of the wax from the ear, it usually ends up pushing more of this wax deep into the ear canal.
This can result in an ear blockage, causing further complications down the line. In most situations, these ear blockages can only be cleared through a micro-suction treatment with a professional.
There is also the possibility of the earbud tip breaking off and getting stuck in the ear canal, or the filaments of cotton buds damaging the eardrum. This can cause infection, pain or even hearing loss in severe cases.
Otitis externa, or Swimmer’s ear is an inflammation of the external ear canal, and this is commonly caused by the use of wool or cotton earbuds. Prolonged use of earbuds ruins the natural cleaning process of the ear, can damage your eardrum and also cause long-term damage to the ear.
So, how can we clean our ears without earbuds?
Cotton buds are definitely not the only at-home method available for cleaning your ears. There are much safer ways out there that are more risk free and way more effective:
1) Using a warm soft washcloth: With a soft washcloth, you can trace the external part of the ears to remove excess ear wax without risking damage to the ear canal. This method is more effective for cosmetic reasons when only external cleaning is desired.
2) Olive Oil (medical grade): Olive oil is a proven wax softening agent for ears, this is a natural home remedy for ear cleaning, usually for blocked ears. Pour two to four drops of medical-grade olive oil in one ear, lie down with your head on the other side for a few minutes, then move the head sideways to let wax fall with oil from that ear. Repeat on the other side and perform this activity approximately three times a day for four to five days to soften hard wax.
3) Consult a professional audiologist: The above-mentioned methods are effective if you are looking for quick relief, but to remove ear blockages fully, consider seeing a professional, so they can painlessly remove the ear wax. An audiologist can safely remove ear wax through microsuction, which is an effective long-term treatment for banishing hard wax in your ears. We provide exceptional services for ear wax removal here at Discretion Hearing Ltd, Southport.
Get in Touch
At Discretion Hearing, our audiologist will inspect your ears thoroughly to ensure there are no underlying medical conditions that may be causing problems, before using a micro suction procedure to remove any ear wax blockage.
Our experts are here to guide you through the process and ensure you receive the best possible solution to removing ear wax blockages and optimise your hearing health. If you have any questions about what we can do for you, please get in touch.