Your body naturally produces earwax to coat your ear canals. This protective coating keeps dirt away from your eardrum and prevents infections. The wax eventually makes its way to the ear opening, aided by your jaw movemen. Then it dries out and falls out of the ear. Of course, you may remove this wax on the exterior of the ears using a washcloth every time you shower. However, your ears need the wax inside the ear canals. Using cotton swabs or inserting other foreign objects in your ears can push wax further into your ear and disrupts the natural process your body uses to clean the ear canal. You also run the risk of damaging your ear canal, introducing bacteria and puncturing your eardrum. For the most part, your ears are self-cleaning and don't need your help. However, if you must remove earwax, do not insert objects into your ear.
Step 1
Take a hot shower. The heat will help to melt earwax and flush it to the outer ear where you can wipe it away with a washcloth.
Step 2
Use an over-the-counter wax softener product no more than once a week to dissolve excess earwax. Follow the directions on the package. Alternatively, you can put a few drops of mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide in each ear and allow it to soak for about 15 minutes. Lie down with your ear on a towel to allow the wax to drain. Do this no more than once a week.
Step 3
Flush your ear canal gently using a bulb syringe filled with warm water. Again, don't do this more than once a week.
Step 4
Talk to your doctor if you have an excessive buildup of earwax and you experience earaches, ringing in your ears, itching, coughing or partial hearing loss. Very rarely, wax buildup can block the eardrum, and only your doctor can treat it.
Tips and Warnings
- Cleaning out too much earwax can make your ears feel itchy or dry. Remember that some wax is normal and don't go overboard with the cleaning.
Things You'll Need
- Wax softener or mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide
- Bulb syringe
- Towel
