not even manufacturers of cotton swabs are recommended for cleaning the ear canal. In fact, several cotton swab brands go even further and warn on their labeling that these sticks they should not be introduced into the auditory pathways. Instead, they highlight the many uses these swabs can have, such as applying makeup or doing crafts. but never stop clean the ears.
Why shouldn’t we use swabs?
The sticks are not an effective method for cleaning the ear canal. What they actually do is push the earwax into the ear canal and cause a plug. Another point against cotton buds is their environmental impact; because they are largely single-use plastics.
In addition, the accidents using the cotton buds are very frequent and the auditory system is tremendously delicate. So, the risk of perforating the eardrum with a wrong movement of the rod is very great. Something that also happens frequently is that the cotton head comes off and falls into the ear canal. If this happened, we should go to the doctor for him to remove it.
The thing is, it’s not even clear if we really should clean our ears. After all, earwax is a substance that our body produces to defend itself against bacteria and of the humidity; and if we remove it, we are interfering with an important process in our body… which already removes excess naturally.
The wax dries and with the jaw movement -little by little- it is disappearing. But even so, to many people (if not to say the vast majority), the wax seems somewhat dirty and disgusting. For that reason, and since it is done, it is better that we do it right:
How should we clean the ears?
The first recommendation of doctors is Do not abuse of the Clean. The same ear will respond by producing more earwax. Experts point out that the ideal is not to clean the ear canal at all and just worry on the outside from the ear And to tackle that task, there are some healthy and safe alternatives:
ear sprays
There is a wide variety of products of this type in pharmacies and they are quite effective when it comes to remove excess wax. But you also have to have careful with this solution, because these sprays will increase the moisture in the ear canal, which could increase the risk of infection.
Oil
Use olive oil or baby oil is the best solution for many experts. It would be done in the following way: before sleeping, a few drops of oil are deposited inside the auditory passages, we cover the ear with a cotton ball and let it act all night. When you wake up, all that remains is to remove the cotton pads and clean the oil in the shower. In this way the ear will be perfectly clean.
a saline solution
Another alternative is to mix half a cup of water with a tablespoon of fine salt. Through a dropper This saline solution will be applied in the ear, and a few minutes will be waited with the bowed head towards the opposite side of the ear that we are cleaning. In this way, the salt water will penetrate well, and after withdrawing, the ear it will be completely clean.
It is also possible to clean with hydrogen peroxide. This method is exactly the same as the previous procedure, only this time we will change the half cup of water for half a cup of warm hydrogen peroxide.
Warm water
This is, according to various health professionals, the most effective and safe method to clean the ears. Take advantage of the shower, without the need to use any type of soap and only do it once a week. In this way we will always have clean ears and no plugs.
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