Cleaning your ear out and removing ear wax might sound like an innocent act of self care, but one expert is sounding the alarm about how dangerous it can be. Whether it’s using a simple cotton bud or a fancy piece of tech, Aussies can do some serious damage the inner workings of their ears if they’re not careful.
Getting rid of ear wax has also become a major hit on social media, with thousands of videos flooding platforms like TikTok and Instagram. But audiologist Lauren McNee told Yahoo Lifestyle why you should leave your ear alone.
“It’s a sensitive area, and it’s quite small, and I think a lot of people don’t realise the power that they have,” she said.
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“As soon as you puncture that eardrum, which is just a very thin layer of skin, it can have a lot of ongoing effects, and your hearing is not something that you want to mess around.”
You can get cotton buds from most pharmacies and supermarkets, with a pack of 100 costing just $5.
But the Audika audiologist has also been concerned at the number of gadgets available that claim to be able clean your ears and remove ear wax for you.
Some of them are simple and cheap, whereas others could set you back a few hundred dollars.
Audiologist Lauren McNee said people should avoid using cotton buds and other utensils to clean their ears and remove wax. Picture: Supplied
There’s a $20 kit from Amazon that has multiple types of scrapers and one with a tiny camera attached that connects to your smartphone so you can see inside your ear.
Then you’ve got ear irrigation machines and vacuum cleaners that are between $240 to $320.
While Lauren said she’s not across “every single one” of the gadgets that are available, she’s worried the ones that can be purchased online might not adhere to Australian standards.
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“Every hearing aid and every product we would use in a clinic all have to meet incredibly stringent requirements,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“Just bringing in accessories for hearing aids requires a whole bunch of FDA approval.
“But something you buy online, like, for example, the water washer ones, what’s the pressure of the water coming out? You’ve got no way of knowing.
“High pressure water going into your ear can give you dizziness. If it’s the wrong temperature, it can actually do damage to your ear.”
Why are people so keen to clean their ears?
Lauren isn’t sure why there’s suddenly a lot of attention on having your ears as clean as possible.
She reckons part of it could be due to social media influencing people into thinking they need to remove ear wax.
Videos showing large clumps of ear wax getting pulled out can elicit the same reaction as pimple popping clips.
People are also taking much more care of themselves these days and ear wax could be seen as a byproduct that needs to be removed.
This device only costs a few dollars and has a camera attached so you can see inside your ear, but everyday Aussies might push too far into the canal while trying to remove wax. Picture: Yahoo Australia
But the audiologist believes people misunderstand what ear wax is and what it does.
“We’ve got little glands in the ears that generate the ear wax, and it’s there for various reasons,” she explained.
“The most important is it’s a real protection for the skin and keeps things like small bugs, dirt, and sand out.
“It also keeps the skin in your ear moist and helps to stop that itching and discomfort that people can get. If they’re cleaning it all out, then there’s nothing there to moisturise the skin.”
How should you clean your ears?
Everyday Aussies have been urged to leave the inside of their ears alone as there aren’t “too many options” available that are safe to do by themselves.
“If you can stick the end of your pinky in, that’s fine,” Lauren added.
“But unfortunately, it just doesn’t really need cleaning.”
She said you can wash and clean the outside of your ear without any major issues, but the main problem lies when you start inserting objects into your ear canal.
If people are desperate to have their ears looked at, they can book an appointment with a doctor or an ear specialist.
“We have trained professionals who undergo very intense training. They have special magnifying eyeglasses and very minute tools and micro suction.”
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