Why the Regular Cleaning of the Earwax Is Not Always Recommended

For many years, the idea that the ear must be cleaned every day, with attention and with the cotton swab after the shower, has been passed from the parents to the children as a rule of hygiene. Also the advertising of the cotton swabs, for decades, has reinforced this conviction. But the truth, that today the specialists of the otorhinolaryngology confirm with clarity, is a different one: the earwax is not a waste to eliminate. It is a substance that the body produces for a precise reason, and to remove it too often means to create more problems than the ones one thinks to resolve.

In this article we see together why, what are the risks, and what one must do instead for to maintain the ear in good health.

The earwax is not the enemy that many persons think

The cerumen, that in common language we call earwax, is produced by the small glands present in the external part of the ear canal. It is a mixture of secretions, dead cells, and small quantities of fatty acids. Its function is not casual:

• Protection from the outside agents. The earwax creates a light barrier that blocks the dust, the small insects, the pollen, and the bacteria before they arrive to the eardrum.
• Hydration of the canal. Without this substance, the skin inside the ear becomes dry, it itches, and it can also form small fissures.
• A natural antibacterial action. The slightly acid pH of the cerumen makes difficult the multiplication of the fungi and of the bacteria.
• A self-cleaning mechanism. This is the aspect that most persons do not know: the ear canal has a slow movement of migration. The skin grows from the eardrum toward the outside, and it carries with it the old earwax. In practice, the ear cleans itself alone.

When we understand this, it becomes clear that the earwax is not dirt. It is a defence. And to remove it every day means to remove a protection that the body has built with care.

What happens when we clean too often

The problem is not to clean the ear one time, but to make of the cleaning a daily habit. The consequences, that the doctors see with frequency in their studies, are several:

• The canal becomes irritated and produces even more cerumen, as a reaction of defence. So the person feels the ear “dirty” again, cleans again, and enters in a vicious circle.
• The skin of the canal, always stimulated, can develop a chronic inflammation, with itching and with a sensation of ear closed.
• The natural bacterial flora is altered, and this opens the door to the external otitis, that is the infection of the ear canal, very common above all in the summer period.
• With the repeated use of the cotton swab, one pushes the cerumen toward the inside instead of removing it. In this way one creates the so-called “cerumen plug,” that is exactly the opposite of what one wanted to obtain.

In the more serious cases, the cotton swab can also touch the eardrum and cause a small lesion. It does not happen often, but it happens. And when it happens, the pain is immediate and the recovery is not always rapid.

The signs that the ear needs attention, and the signs that it does not

Many persons ask: “But how do I know if my ear has need of cleaning?” The answer is simpler than what one thinks.

It is NOT necessary to intervene when:

• One feels a small quantity of earwax at the entrance of the ear canal. This is normal and it is sufficient to remove it with a towel after the shower.
• One has the sensation of the ear slightly “full” after the swimming or after the shower. Usually it passes alone in few hours.

It is opportune to consult a professional when:

• The sensation of ear closed persists for more than two or three days.
• One notices a reduction of the hearing from one side or from both.
• There is pain, a bad odour, or a liquid that comes out from the ear.
• One uses hearing aids or earplugs every day, because these objects can push the cerumen toward the inside.

In these cases, the correct thing is to go from the doctor or from the otorhinolaryngologist, that can verify the situation with the otoscope and, if necessary, make a professional cleaning in safety.

The mistakes most common that one must avoid

There are habits that seem harmless but that are, in reality, damaging for the ear. It is important to know them:

The ear is a delicate organ. It does not ask to be “scrubbed.” It asks to be left in peace.

What one can do for the health of the ear without being aggressive

So, if we must not clean with frequency, what can we make in practice? The indications are concrete and simple:

• After the shower or after the swimming, one dries the external part of the ear with a towel. One tilts the head to the right and to the left for to let exit the water. This is sufficient.
• If one feels the ear a little dry, one can apply one or two drops of olive oil or of sweet almond oil, that help to maintain the elasticity of the skin. But it is not necessary to do it every day.
• One avoids to keep the earphones or the hearing aids for many consecutive hours without pauses. The ear needs also of air.
• One protects the ear from the loud noises, with the appropriate protections when one is in a loud environment.
• One takes care of the general health, because also the ear is connected to the circulation, to the alimentation, and to the general state of the organism.

In this last point, it is worth to spend a word more. The hearing is not only a mechanical question. The cells of the inner ear need of a good blood flow and of specific nutrients for to work well. For this reason, many persons that pay attention to the hearing choose to support the organism also from the inside, for example with integrators thought specifically for the auditory function. One product that is born with this intention is Acuvit, a food supplement formulated for to give support to the normal function of the ear. It is not a medicine and it does not substitute the doctor, but it represents a complement to a style of life attentive. Who wishes to understand better the composition and the approach of this integrator can find the informations on the page acuvit.health where the philosophy of the product is explained with transparency.

Naturally, no integrator replaces the correct habits and the periodic control from the doctor. But in a vision of global attention to the ear, also the nutritional support has its place.

When it is necessary to consult the doctor

There are situations in which the “wait and see” is not the correct strategy. One must contact the doctor without delay when:

• The hearing diminishes in a rapid way, also from only one ear.
• One perceives whistling or buzzing (the tinnitus) that does not pass after some days.
• There is a strong pain, with or without fever.
• From the ear exits blood or a purulent liquid.
• One has had a trauma, for example a strong noise very near, or a blow on the ear.

In these cases, the specialist has the instruments for to look inside the ear, for to evaluate the eardrum, and for to decide if there is a cerumen plug to remove, an infection to treat, or a more deep investigation to make.

In conclusion: less intervention, more respect

The message that I wish to leave to who reads is this: the ear is an organ that knows to take care of itself. Our task is not to clean it with obsession, but to not disturb it, to protect it from the damages, and to observe it with attention when something changes.

The earwax is not a defect of the body. It is a solution that the nature has refined in thousands of years. And to respect this solution is the first, and the most simple, gesture of care that we can make for our hearing.

If then one wishes to support the ear also with a good alimentation, with a correct hydration, and with integrators specific as Acuvit, this is a choice in more that one can evaluate together with the doctor or with the pharmacist of confidence. But the base remains always the same: to do less, and to do well.

The ear, if we leave it work, will thank us for all the life.