Is it okay to clean your ear canal often with cotton swabs?

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  • Source:Costco Hearing Aids

Many people know that there is earwax in the ears. This component is called cerumen in medicine, and sometimes it can cause itchiness. At this time, people will subconsciously pick out their ears. Some people will use their hands, and some people will use a more advanced method and find a cotton swab to do it.

Is it good to clean the ear canal often with cotton swabs?

It is not good to use cotton swabs to pick out the ears. If you use a cotton swab to pick out your ears, you will not be able to completely clean out the earwax, because the cotton swab cannot remove the dirt in the ear. Instead, it may push the dirt deeper into the ear, causing the ear to become clogged. In this case, the ears have the ability to clean themselves. Under normal circumstances, there is no need to remove the ears frequently, just clean them once in a while.


The skin of the ear canal is very thin and sensitive. If you frequently clean the ear canal with cotton swabs, it will dry out the skin of the ear canal and easily lead to itchy ears. This is one of the most common reasons people complain of itchy ears.

A little cerumen is a good thing. A little cerumen in the ear canal can protect the ears. Do not remove it completely. Cerumen helps keep dust and bugs out of your ears. If the cerumen is completely removed, the ear loses its protective mechanism.

When the earwax is obvious, you can use cotton swabs to clean the spilled earwax and around the ear canal opening. Do not insert it into the ear canal. When there is a lot of earwax, you can use a professional device like an eardropper to instill liquid into the ear canal to clean it. If you are worried that it will be inconvenient for you to operate, you can go to the hospital for cleaning.

Therefore, don’t pick your ears randomly. If you really experience itching in your ears, you can use a sterilized cotton swab or a special ear pick for occasional use. If the itching occurs continuously You also need to go to the hospital for relevant examinations to avoid ear canal infection or inflammation.


For children with itchy ears, parents should not pick them out randomly to avoid unnecessary threats to their children.

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