Earwax can be a nuance, but many may not realise that getting rid of it using ear buds could do more harm than good.
Your eardrums could be sensitive, so you may want to avoid sticking anything in there as it could do serious damage.
Using ear buds could also push wax deeper into the ear canal which may cause blockages.
There are some unhelpful social media hacks that people share every now and then, which don't always give the best guidance, Coventry Live reports.
According to Katie Ogden, a registered hearing aid dispenser and Training Manager for ReSound, there are some facts around earwax that we should all know.
What is earwax and why do we need it?
Earwax is a sticky substance that builds up due to wax glands located in the outer part of the ear canal. Earwax can take the form of several colours, usually orange, brown, red, or yellowish.
Although it is often looked at as dirt, Katie Ogden says that we need earwax to clean and protect the inner ear. She says: "The wax is essential for moisturising the skin within the ear canal to prevent it from becoming dry or damaged.
"The waxy coating also prevents dust, dirt or any other debris from entering the ear and damaging the eardrum."
How can earwax cause problems?
So, earwax by default is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s more so about the amount that you have, that could cause issues, says Katie.
The earwax expert says that "individuals that are frequently removing their earwax and therefore have too little of it can experience dry, itchy ears that are also more prone to infection."
On the other hand, having too much earwax isn’t good either.
Katie says having too much earwax (ceruminosis) building up in the ear canal can "lead to impaction which causes earaches, infections, mild deafness, a sensation of fullness in the ear, tinnitus and other hearing problems."
Katie recommends that if you do have too much earwax or have trouble hearing you should contact a healthcare professional. She adds: "They will be able to examine the ear and provide a safe solution like prescription ear drops, water irrigation or use a suctioning device, to help alleviate the issue."
How not to clean your ears
Although 96 per cent of people describe removing earwax as their main use for cotton buds, it’s not recommended as a safe method. Katie says ‘often cotton buds can do more harm than good, pushing earwax deeper into the ear and causing it to build up further inside the ear canal.’
She continues "in more serious cases, the cotton bud can also cause damage to the structures of the inner ear causing vertigo, deafness and even facial paralysis.’
Ear candling has also become a popular ear cleaning trend. The method involves inserting long, cone-shaped candles into ears and lighting it on fire to draw out any earwax.
But Katie says: "Not only can this method result in burns from the flame, but the candle wax can even drip into the ear, clogging the canal and making you lose hearing for a while."
It has also been reported in the past that the method can cause punctured eardrums.
Hydrogen Peroxide is another earwax removal trend. Katie also warns about this as she says "the overuse of hydrogen peroxide to soften earwax and remove it, can not only cause irritation to the skin inside of the ear and be abrasive but it can even lead to unwanted effects like inflammation of the inner ear and earaches."
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