Why cleaning your ears is bad

The cloth is placed into the ear. A second person lights the wax end, holding your hair to avoid the flame. The theory goes that a vacuum is created as the flame burns, drawing the wax from the ear. However, limited clinical trials prove otherwise. While some amount of earwax is normal and healthy, too much can cause or accentuate hearing loss.

Our auditory system is an amazing part of our bodies. While cleaning your ears may feel like a necessary task, daily maintenance is certainly not required. Portland's Premiere Hearing Care Provider. Skip to content. Is it really dangerous to clean ears with cotton swabs? Are the rumors true?

Is it actually dangerous to use cotton swabs in our ears? And if so, what are we supposed to do instead? Q: Can I use cotton swabs to clean my ears? Wong: No! Q: What if I only use cotton swabs in the outer part of my ears? Q: So what's the best way to remove earwax? Q: What about the earwax removal products I see at the pharmacy? Tags: Prevention. Expert Advice. Popular Categories. Popular Topics. Women's Health.

As the cerumen builds up, it can gradually affect the hearing. What usually happens is a person will experience a sudden loss of hearing when they get water behind it, or the wax can coalesce and finally block off the ear canal. Fortunately, we can remedy this pretty easily in the clinic. Haley Otman. January 10, PM. He addresses some of the noteworthy aspects of the new guidelines below. What is new in the updated guidelines?

Why do the experts keep warning against cleaning out your own ears, even with Q-tips?