ENT doctor in Palawan talks about how Q-tips are not designed to be inserted into the ear canal, and using them in this way can cause more harm than good.
The Importance of Earwax
Take a look at our skin. Everyday it gets dry, cells are being replaced by new skin cells everyday , we take a bath everyday just to keep our skin clean.
We also have similar skin lining our ear canal.
So, the question is do you have to clean your ears everyday , as you do to the rest of your skin? The answer is NO. you do not “NEED” to clean your ears. And the reason is EARWAX.
A lot of people view earwax as just dirt in the ear canal. The fact is earwax is a natural and necessary part of the ear’s defense system. helps protect your sensitive ear canal by trapping dirt, sand, insects and other foreign substances.
Earwax is the ear’s moisturizer, it helps prevent excessive dryness in the ear canal and on the outer ear.
It also repels water.
And, it acts as an antibacterial agent- it helps prevent infection, trap bacteria and harmful particles.
Think about it, we already have this built-in self-cleaning, moisturizing, anti-bacterial mechanism in our ears, and yet everyday, we strip our ears of it.
Why Q-Tips Are Bad for Your Ears
When you use a Q-tip, you risk pushing the wax deeper into your ear canal, where it can become impacted and cause hearing loss, pain, and even infection.
What is worse, is that by using q-tips, if you are not removing the earwax, you are actually pushing it in, into an area, where it is not able to clean itself. Unlike skin in the rest of the body which is replaced in an upward direction., meaning old cells slowly go up where they eventually end in the top layer and easily removed by friction, the skin in the ear canal goes out by migration: meaning skin goes from the center of the ear drum, to the edge of the eardrum and then goes out slowly to the ear canal. This skin as well as other debris is mixed with the oil and secretions from glands in the outer 1/3 of the ear canal is what forms the earwax.
When you push the earwax in and it builds up inside the canal, it may be more prone to accumulate fungus, bacteria which may cause ear infections.
This can also block your hearing and cause deafness and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Poking the q-tip too deep may even rupture your eardrum, needing a trip to your ENT doctor.
Another reason why you should not clean your ears is because unlike the skin in the rest of the body which is 5 layers thick, the skin in the inner 2/3 of the ear canal is very very thin and is surrounded by bone. This delicate skin inside your ear canal can be easily irritated or injured by the Q-tip, leading to inflammation, pain, and even bleeding. By cleaning your ears with q-tips you may be creating micro-abrasions, as well as releasing histamine which causes itchiness. As a reflex of course, when something is itchy, you scratch it again. By doing that, you are actually creating a viscious “scratch-and-itch” cycle. And that pattern has to stop.
What can you do instead?
If you feel like your ears are dirty, you may clean the pinna or external ear with a clean damp washcloth. And let your ear canal and earwax do their job of ear cleaning.
However, if you have excessive earwax or feel like your ears are blocked, make an appointment with an ENT clinic near you. Your ENT doctor can safely and effectively remove the earwax using special tools and techniques, as well as treat any underlying issues causing your symptoms.