New Rules For Ear Health
Posted August 29, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
We’ve all heard the old rule: don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. And it’s a good rule – there’s a delicate system of checks and balances in most healthy ears that can easily be damaged by human intervention.
Still, most of us mess with our ears from time to time. Some people clean them with cotton swabs and peroxide, and some even resort to (gasp) paper clips or hair pins.
More research has gone into what we should do for our ears, and the results show that we ought to just leave them alone.
That’s partially because of a protective coating found inside the organs called keratin. It grows from the inner ear out, and any disturbance – including well-intentioned cleaning tools – can remove some of the precious coating and leave the ear susceptible to bacteria.
But if you or your ears aren’t healthy, it’s possible to get a backup of wax in the canal that can cause damage to your eardrum, as well as earaches and tinnitus (roaring or ringing in the ears). That’s when it might be necessary to do something about it.
Any problem with your ears, or your hearing, warrants a visit to the doctor. Your physician may recommend a solution that will soften this hardened built up wax so that it’s easy to remove.
Helena Martell sought a doctor’s advice when her ear wax was becoming uncomfortable. “I just felt like I was not hearing as well, like a little echoing sound, you know. When you’re in the shower it feels a little gushy and whatnot.”
She had her ears suctioned, but there are far more common remedies that both you and doctors can use.
“The commonest overall would be ear syringing, where water is used to push the wax out. And that’s what family doctors do,” said Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist Dr. Oakley Smith.
What’s not recommended is the alternative remedy called ‘ear candling’ which involves inserting a special candle in the ear. This hollow candle, made of beeswax, is lit on the end away from the ear. The vacuum and heat created by the candle allegedly draws the wax out of the ear into the hollow candle.
The dangers, which are well documented, include burning the delicate ear canal and middle ear, melting wax into the canal creating a “plug” and serious burns to the skin, ears and hair. Permanent damage to a patient’s hearing is possible.
When it comes to maintaining ear health, Dr. Smith had some tried and true gems. “Stay away from noise,” he said. “Because that will hurt your ears. Keep your Q-Tips and anything else out of your ears, and that, for the vast majority of people, is all you need to do.”
For more on the ways doctors clear your ears and the safe ways for you to try it, click here.
Itchy Ears from Cotton Swab Use
