Do not clean your ear canal with cotton swabs

Not a day passes without many people grabbing a cotton swab to clean earwax from their ear canals, despite doctors having repeated warnings about this habit for decades. The HuffPost website quoted ear, nose, and throat specialists stating that earwax, scientifically known as cerumen, is not an enemy to be eradicated, but rather a natural cleaning mechanism that carries away dead skin cells and dust away from the auditory nerves.

A specialist explained that the ear canal is rich in nerve endings to such an extent that it is exceptionally sensitive, warning that what might seem like a mere tickle elsewhere on the body can cause real pain inside the ear. He added that he does not recommend inserting any object into the canal, whether it be a cotton swab, a hairpin, or any other item, and also warned of the risks of perforating the eardrum when attempting self-irrigation without precise guidance on the injection path.

The dangers of this habit extend beyond direct physical harm; they also include pushing wax further inward rather than removing it, which worsens blockages instead of treating them. The most prominent signs that warrant a visit to a doctor rather than self-intervention include:

Specialist experts emphasize that most people do not need to clean their earwax at all, as the ear is biologically designed to gradually clean itself and naturally expel excess wax. In cases where wax actually accumulates and causes discomfort, doctors recommend consulting a specialist who uses precise instruments such as forceps or a surgical microscope to safely remove the wax, rather than resorting to any improvised home remedy.

One doctor noted that humans lived for half a million years without specialized ear-cleaning tools, suggesting that the desire to intervene often exceeds the actual need to do so.