4 Tips to Keep Your Ears Clean

Clean, healthy ears are something that everyone should aim to maintain at all stages in life. While this part of the body needs less attention than others, knowing how to take care of them is key. Those skills will go a long way to preventing and reducing long-term damage. Every audiologist will confirm that good ear cleaning practices bring a host of rewards for everyone. Whether you’re someone that regularly suffers from blockages or just want to take the right precautions doesn’t matter. Here are four top tricks to keep your ears in great health.

Use the damp cloth method

While most people focus solely on cleaning the canal, it’s important not to overlook the outer ear. This is the area of the ear deserves daily cleaning and the damp cloth approach is the best solution by far. Using warm water and a soft cleansing agent, rub the helix, lobe and other areas. The outer ear doesn’t contain as many nerve endings as other parts of the body, but that doesn’t mean you should be too rough. Add this to your daily cleaning regimes and you will see positive results.

Seek professional help

The fact of the matter is that you don’t need to worry about cleaning the ear canal on a daily basis. The human body is smart and will naturally clean the ears by pushing materials towards the outer ear. This is another reason to use the damp cloth method daily. However, when your ear has become blocked, an audiologist can clean the ear. This may be achieved through irrigation, syringing and other techniques used to remove the wax. By seeing a specialist, you can also check for infections or other issues that could put your ears at risk.

Try wax softeners

Let’s face it; a buildup of earwax is the most common problem related to ear cleaning. Audiologists are the best solution when you have suffered long-term trouble. If it has been a one-off situation, though, you may be able to dislodge the excess wax with over the counter solutions. A few drops into the ear followed by a few minutes of tilting the head to let the drops work should help. Complete the cycle by tilting the head the other way to let wax drain out. Do this for a few days to see if it makes a difference. If not, expert support is available.  

Dry the ear

It is still possible to try irrigation at home, as long as you’re sure that there isn’t a burst eardrum of similar issues. While many people successfully remove excess wax in this manner, they can encounter another problem: Swimmer’s ear. This is the last thing you need after other issues. Your ears are quite vulnerable to water. If moisture gets stuck in the canal and middle ear, temporary hearing loss is sure to follow. Gently pulling the earlobe down and tilting the head can drain excess water. Talk with your audiologist to learn more about ways to properly clean your ears.