Otorhinolaryngologist reveals how to safely clean earwax (Photo: Reprodução/TikTok)
Tonia L. Farmer, an otorhinolaryngologist from Ohio, USA, shared a video on TikTok revealing how to properly remove earwax and the danger of overusing cotton swabs.
In the clip, Farmer, known on social media as Dr. Nose Best, explained that cotton swabs “aren’t really meant to clean ears, all they do is push the wax deeper into the ear canal, which causes impaction.”
Earwax is composed of secretions from sebaceous and sweat glands, dead skin cells, hairs, and debris and serves to remove dirt, dust, and bacteria, thus protecting the ear canal from irritation, infections, and dryness.
According to her, “ears naturally clean themselves like a self-cleaning oven”, so she simply recommends using a damp cloth to clean the outer part of the ear canal as the wax is pushed out.
If you have narrow ear canals or buildup of dry wax, Farmer advised using a wax softening agent, such as mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, using a baby syringe filled with water can also help remove the wax.
She concluded the clip by stating that her patients visit her office every few months to have their ears cleaned. Untreated wax buildup can cause earaches, ear pressure, ear infections, dizziness, and even hearing loss.
@drnosebest Avoid using Qtips ® to clean your ears. All you’re doing is pushing wax further down into your ear canal. Remember, your ears clean themselves by pushing wax to the outer part of your ear canal when you chew and talk. Wax impaction can cause: Muffled hearing Ear pressure Ear pain Dizziness Ringing ears Infection Dry skin in ear Itchy ears Eardrum perforation Also, I’ve cleaned many ears impacted with wax only to find the head of a Qtip ® lodged deep in the ear canal. These “foreign bodies” in the ear can cause quite a problem. Let me know in the comments if this is helpful and what questions you have about ear wax. #earwax #earwaxremoval #drnosebest ♬ original sound – Dr. Nose Best
