Whether or not you want to hear it, earwax is good for your ears. Earwax stops dust, dirt, and foreign objects like bugs from entering your ear canal and causing an infection.
While it’s important to keep your ears clean, avoid putting anything remotely sharp into the ear canal. Even a cotton swab can damage the tiny bones inside your ear or harm the eardrum. Instead of removing excess earwax, a cotton swab can push the wax further into your ear canal where it can become impacted, causing hearing issues and pain.
Everyday when you chew you’re naturally clearing and cleaning your ears. Moving your jaw helps to move old earwax from inside your ear to the ear’s opening, where it dries and falls out naturally. If you notice that your earwax is brown or black, it may be time to see your doctor. Discolored earwax can be a sign of infection.
If you feel like you have too much earwax, an ear, nose, and throat doctor can help to gently remove it. If the wax becomes such that you’re having trouble hearing, it’s definitely time to see your doctor. For milder cases, your doctor may recommend putting a few drops of hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, or saline solution into your ears to loosen the wax.
