Cleaning your ears?

[kelvinyap9]

Hey guys,

I was thinking of going to get my ears cleaned by a doctor or something, but am unsure whether who I should go to specifically for something like this.

From what I know, there are several methods of cleaning (or "cleaning") your ears, some safe and effective whilst some other methods are dangerous and doesn't really work.

Anybody done this before? I've been staying away from the cotton ear buds (q-tips) as I've read they actually push the earwax in deeper. Also, "ear candling" is bullshit.

So yeah, if you've had any experience getting your ears cleaned by some professional ear cleaner person or by a firefighter hose, do reply

[Deniz]

I think they will only clean your ears if it is absolutely necessary, because of the risks involved. That's what I heard anyways.

I dunno, I use cotton buds all the time and not long ago my audiologist was taking my ear impressions and commented on how 'clean' my ear canals were. But I do like to clean my ears in the shower (just tilt your head sideways and let warm water trickle in, then leave it there for a bit and rinse).

[Riverback]

Yep, most of them will do a cleaning if you actually have problems.

Tilting your head when taking a shower works pretty well or you could buy some Audiclean and just DIY it.

[kelvinyap9]

Yeah, I was thinking Audiclean as well, but apparently that's only for "light" cleaning, and not if you have gunk clogging up ear canals :P

[Riverback]

If you have gunk clogging I think you're supposed to use the oil-based Audiclean one then follow up with the holy water-based

[droenn]

I used this when I had blocked ears last year.

Otherwise cotton buds/hot showers etc are good.

[Drubbing]

See a GP, they'll decide whether you need referring to an ENT for a pro clean. Some GPs are even handy at syringing ears out themselves.

[GougMan]

Yeah if you're worried about it, go to your gp and they should be able to do it for you. Otherwise, try the Audiclean as other have suggested. If there's more of an issue, get a referral to a ENT specialist from your gp.

But do not use cotton buds to try and clean your ears as you will simply push the gunk further into the ear canal causing more issues.

[matt_d_19]

But do not use cotton buds to try and clean your ears as you will simply push the gunk further into the ear canal causing more issues.

There's nothing wrong with cotton buds for a casual clean if you use them properly. Just make sure that you insert them in the centre of your ear canal (and not too far), and to get the safest clean, I move the bud around in circles around my ear canal to wipe all of the wax off, not put it deeper. Wetting it makes it easier too, but be careful not to accidentally slip the bud further into your ear because of the lack of friction.

Edit: forgot, also pull your ear cartilage up with your other hand while cleaning to straighten your ear canal.

[Felix]

Ear-candles are bizarre and fun. Like a tickle that also scratches an itch. Highly recommended

[kelvinyap9]

Ear-candles are bizarre and fun. Like a tickle that also scratches an itch. Highly recommended

Stay away from ear candles!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_candling

According to medical researchers, it is both dangerous and ineffective. The practice does not remove earwax or other toxins.

[cloughie]

I would recommend not using them too.

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRel ... dling.html

[Felix]

But it DID remove my earwarx?

Edit: or maybe not!

They demonstrated that all residue originated from the candle and that no ear wax was removed from the ear

Felt like it though

[Felix]

Still, it feels whacky. And that's good enough for me

[GougMan]

Stay away from cotton swabs, keys, toothpicks, etc...

"According to Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists, a cotton swab is the last thing you should be putting in your ear. Cleaning your ears with a cotton swab may cause more problems. Instead, use a moist cloth to wash the external part of the ear or rinse your ears out during a shower."

"The general advice is to avoid using household objects such as car keys, paper clips or toothpicks to clean out the inner ear.Even cotton swabs are not recommended for deep ear cleaning, because they can push the excess earwax deeper into the ear instead of removing it."

I don't know why you would want to put car keys in your ears but there you go ...

Or you can try the old-fashioned European way - let your fingernail grow a bit (on your little finger) and then put that inside the ear and move up and down vigorously to remove excess gunk