Do you use cotton swabs to clean your ears?
Be careful, these little cotton swabs are dangerous for the ears.
Moreover, for an ENT, it's simple:cotton swabs are to be banned.
What are the risks of cotton swabs? What to replace them with?
How to clean your ears safely? And how often?
Forget the cotton swabs!
We explain the best method to clean your ears naturally and quickly . Watch:
Many people use cotton swabs to clean their ears and remove earwax.
Even parents with their babies!
But did you know that you should NEVER insert a cotton swab into the ear canal?
You don't believe me?
Yet this warning appears black on white on all boxes of cotton swabs:
"Do not insert into the ear canal ."
So, what's wrong with this poor cotton swab?
Instead of cleaning the ear, it pushes the earwax at the bottom of the ear.
By pushing it into the ear, you push the earwax to the bottom.
As a result, earwax can no longer come out...
And here's the thing:your ear keeps producing earwax.
Then, earwax begins to accumulate and become more and more dense.
As a result, an ear plug forms.
By the way, earplugs can become as hard as a rock!
But that's not the worst...
By pushing their cotton swab too deep, some people can even tear their eardrum.
So, how to clean your ears every day without a cotton swab and WITHOUT danger?
Here's what ear specialists recommend:
The best thing is to do nothing!
Yes, you read that right.
The best thing you can do to clean your ears is not to touch them.
It may sound surprising, but letting your ears do their own thing is the best way!
Yes, nature is well done and has already thought of everything.
Human ears clean themselves!
No need for sprays, machines, instruments or special devices (and even less candles!).
In a pinch, the only thing you can clean is the outer part of the ear...
...but definitely not the ear canal!
The easiest way to do this is to clean your ears in the shower, with a little soapy water.
Afterwards, wipe them carefully with a towel wrapped around your index finger.
I explain in detail how to do it below:
1. While showering, put some soap in your hands.
2. Rub your hands together to lather.
3. Rub your index finger all over the outside of the ear including the hole.
4. Do it on one side then the other to clean both ears.
5. Once out of the shower, wrap a handkerchief around your index finger.
6. Again, pass the tissue all over the outside of the ear and into the canal.
Don't worry, nature is well done :
You can't hurt yourself by putting your index finger in the ear canal.
Your index finger is much larger than your ear canal!
Instead of tissue paper, you can use:
A paper handkerchief, a thin towel, a t-shirt, a sheet of paper towel or toilet paper.
Some people clean their ears because they mistakenly think earwax is dirty.
Yet earwax prevents germs and bacteria from entering your ear.
It acts as a protective and antiseptic film for your ear.
Even if its color tends to displease, it is a natural, sterile and clean secretion .
And wait, there's even better :
In reality, there is no need to remove the wax that is inside your ear!
Why?
Thanks to a self-cleaning mechanism, the ear cleans itself .
Indeed, earwax does not need help to get out of the ear canal:it does it all by itself.
Thus, the earwax is transported outwards, much like a treadmill.
You must clean the entrance to the ears every 10 to 15 days maximum, no more.
It is largely sufficient:no need to clean them more often!
You will have understood:cotton swabs are therefore to be banned to remove earwax from your ears.
Simply put, now you know what NOT to do.
But then, what are the alternatives to cotton swabs?
Indeed, some people produce more earwax as necessary.
This is particularly the case for those who:
- use earplugs,
- wear headphones or
- wear hearing aids.
For these people, a good ear cleaning is essential every 3 months.
So what to do when you feel like your ears need a good cleaning?
It's true:even if the ears are "self-cleaning", earwax often accumulates and needs to be removed.
Fortunately, here are 4 natural tips to clean your ears without danger . Watch:
The easiest way to remove earwax from your ears is to thin it with warm water.
The hot water in your shower naturally softens earwax ears.
To apply this method, simply use hot water from your shower.
- Tilt the head on the opposite side of the ear to be cleaned:i.e. with the ear to be cleaned up .
- Squeeze some water into your ear.
- Tilt your head to the other side, so that water and earwax can drain out.
Note: No need to put the water jet directly in your ear, a few drops of water are more than enough.
Know that you can achieve the same result when you take a bath .
Simply wring out a damp washcloth to run a few drops of warm water into your ear.
To discover: 15 Bad Habits You Have In The Shower That You Absolutely Should Avoid!
Thanks to its salt content, saline also helps to eliminate earwax.
But instead of buying saline like here...
You can simply prepare your own saline, at home.
It's really not complicated:water + salt , and voila!
- Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in half a cup of hot water (125 ml).
- Soak a piece of cotton in this mixture.
- Tilt your head and use the soaked cotton to drip a few drops of saline solution into your ear.
- Leave on for 5 minutes , until the water and salt soften the earwax.
- Tilt your head to the other side so that the earwax and saline solution drain out.
- Repeat this process to clean the other ear.
To discover: 17 Amazing Uses of Saline (That Nobody Knows).
Another very effective method to soften earwax is to use a solution based on hydrogen peroxide .
- Get a bottle of 10 volume hydrogen peroxide, like this one.
- Pour hot water into a bowl.
- Put the bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the bowl to heat it slightly.
- Wait until the hydrogen peroxide is at the right temperature.
- Use a dropper to drip a few drops into your ear.
- Leave on for 5 minutes , until the hydrogen peroxide softens the earwax.
- Tilt your head to the other side to allow the earwax to drain.
- Repeat this process to clean the other ear.
No dropper? You can also use a piece of cotton soaked in hydrogen peroxide.
Do not heat hydrogen peroxide in the microwave, as excessive heat can turn it into water.
Don't want to use pure hydrogen peroxide?
You can also mix it with hot water, in equal parts.
To discover: 29 Magical Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide. Don't Miss #23!
Another natural and effective way to soften ear wax is to use oil.
Ideally, use sweet almond oil or jojoba oil.
But the trick also works with a simple edible oil (olive, sunflower, rapeseed, sesame).
- Heat the oil slightly by putting the bottle in a bowl of hot water.
(Exactly as described for hydrogen peroxide, above.)
- Wait until the oil is at the right temperature.
- Tilt your head and use a dropper to dispense about 3-4 drops in each ear.
- If you wish, you can do both ears at the same time. Simply apply a piece of cotton to each ear to prevent the oil from leaking.
- Leave on for 10 minutes , then tilt your head to drain the oil and earwax from your ears.
- To finish, carefully clean your ear with a piece of cotton or a clean, lint-free cloth.
All of the tips above are safe methods to clean and remove earwax from your ears.
Do you think a plug has formed in your ear due to an accumulation of wax?
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may be suffering from an ear plug:
- an unpleasant feeling of obstruction of the ear,
- itching,
- pain in the ear or
- a decrease in hearing.
If you think you have earwax, don't gamble with your ear health!
Make an appointment with a doctor, who will know exactly how to remove it WITHOUT risk!
If so, see a doctor without waiting.
Do you use a hearing aid?
So, before trying the above methods, do not hesitate to consult your hearing care professional.
That way, he can determine if these methods are suitable for your hearing aid.
