Why you should never use cotton buds to clean ear wax

Using cotton buds as an effective way of cleaning ears is a common misconception and you should think twice before doing so! Although initially designed for this exact purpose in the 1920s, it has been widely recognised for many years that cotton buds can cause significant damage to the ears and compromise our hearing health. In this blog we highlight reasons why you should never use cotton buds to clean excess earwax, we also ​suggest alternative methods to safely remove earwax, maintain ear hygiene.

What is earwax and what is its purpose?

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a naturally occurring substance produced by glands in the ear canal. Its main function is to protect and lubricate the ears. Normally, wax migrates from the ear canal to the ear opening, where it either dries up and naturally falls out or gets washed away, because of this, usually for most people there ​isn't a need to clean your ears. Earwax can also help prevent the entry of dust, ​debris, and foreign particles into the ear and it has antimicrobial properties, which means it can stop the growth of bad bacteria within the ear. Our wax is much more ​functional than you may think!

What are the risks when using cotton buds?

Push wax deeper into the ear canal:
Using cotton buds for excess earwax may inadvertently push wax deeper into the ear canal, potentially causing the wax to become compacted and result in more complicated issues and pain within your delicate eardrum.
Damage the ear canal:
Inserting cotton buds to clean your ears poses a risk of scratches or damage to the delicate skin deep inside of the ear canal, increasing the likelihood of infections and long term damage.
Stimulate wax production:
Cleaning the ear canal with cotton buds can trigger an increase in wax production, creating an unnatural cycle of cleaning and wax build-up.
Perforated eardrum:
Pushing cotton buds too deeply or with excessive force into the inner ear carries the risk of perforating the eardrum, a serious and painful injury requiring the attention of a GP or ENT (ear, nose & throat) specialist. Perforated eardrums can lead to permanent hearing loss although this is rare.
Loss of protective layer:
Earwax serves as a protective barrier, trapping dust, debris, and bacteria to prevent them from reaching the delicate structures of the inner ear. Excessive wax removal with cotton buds can compromise this protective layer and its benefits. Remember you may not always need to clean your ears.

Should we clean our ears with cotton buds?

Typically most ears self-regulate and usually do not need regular cleaning. Because earwax is naturally produced by the body, we need our wax to stay healthy. It is important to understand all of the reasons to steer clear of inserting cotton buds or other objects into the ear canal. Should you encounter hearing loss or earwax-related issues, we would only advise to follow NHS guidance for ear care, using ear drops recommended by a healthcare professional or take advantage of ​our ear wax removal service, a safe an affordable way to remove wax reducing the risk of ear infections.

How should you clean your ears? Safe alternatives to cotton buds

If necessary there are safer alternatives to cotton swabs and options for self cleaning ears, before seeking medical attention. The following advice is directly from the NHS. ​
Earwax usually falls out on its own. If it does not, and builds up and blocks your ear, you can try to remove it.

​To remove earwax build-up:

1. Lie on your side with the affected ear facing up.
   
2. Put 2 to 3 drops of olive or almond oil in your ear – do not use almond oil if you're allergic to almonds.
   
3. Continue to lie on your side for 5 to 10 minutes after putting in the oil.
   
4. Repeat 3 to 4 times a day, for 3 to 5 days.
   

Over about 2 weeks, lumps of earwax should fall out of your ear and your symptoms should improve. There's no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums get rid of wax.
​Important: Do not use your fingers or any objects like cotton buds to remove earwax. ​This will push it in and make it worse.

Important: Ear candles are not effective
Expanding on the above NHS guidance, there is strong evidence indicating that 'ear candles' are not effective for removing wax. Instead, what appears to be wax removed is often just melted candle wax from the paper itself. This method is misleading and potentially quite dangerous, there have been cases of lit paper falling into the ear canal ,burning the eardrum and causing more harm then good. Learn the dangers of ear candling.

You may find the following research paper useful: 
Ear Candling PubMedCentral

Wax removal with K & M Hearing Solutions

Get in touch with us for professional help if you are experiencing any hearing loss or ear wax related issues, we are clinically trained in all aspects of ear cleaning and excess wax removal, our ear cleaning methods are safe and effective and we don't use cotton buds, our service includes:

​Micro-suction  |  Ear Syringing or Irrigation  |  Manual Extraction

This ensures we can use the correct procedure to suit your personal requirements. Book your wax removal appointment online or contact us.  Our video otoscopy allows you to see inside your ears before and after your procedure, to find out exactly what is involved in ​wax removal click the button below.

wax removal