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Earwax can be removed with an ear pick or curette, which physically dislodges the earwax and scoops it out of the ear canal. [40] In the West, use of ear picks is usually only done by health professionals. Curetting earwax using an ear pick was common in ancient Europe and is still practised in East Asia.
Reduced earwax production can make it harder for the ear to push wax out naturally, making earwax build-up more likely. Narrow ear canals, curvy ear canals, and aging increase the likelihood of ...
Cotton swabs "really weren't made to clean your ears — all they do is just push the wax deeper down into your ear canal and this causes an impaction," Dr. Tonia L. Farmer advised.
Ear wax, also known as cerumen, protects the ear from dust, bacteria, and small objects from entering and damaging the ear. It also provides a coating to protect the skin inside the ear canal from irritation from water during showers and water activities. [6] However, some individuals have more active glands which can produce more ear wax.
Cerumenolytics are used to soften and break up ear wax. Using a cerumenolytic can reduce the need for flushing the ear with irrigants for wax removal. Additionally, cerumenolytics can also facilitate the manual removal of ear wax. [1] Overall, all cerumenolytics are considered to be equivalent in efficacy. [2]
In fact, "cleaning" your ears with cotton swabs just pushes cerumen (ear wax) deeper and further into your ear canal, Lewis says, explaining, "This can cause cerumen impaction, which can be ...