For many, digging around in your ear canal with a cotton bud to scoop out satisfyingly large clumps of wax is as habitual as cleaning your teeth or washing your hair. For some, it also feels good - because the inner tunnel of your ear is loaded with nerve endings, cleaning your ears can often simulate the pleasure of an orgasm, or so they say!
But, even if it gives you pleasure and the feeling of cleanliness, cleaning your ears with cotton buds is not a good idea, and you should stop immediately, because:
- Regularly cleaning is another common cause of earwax build-up as removing the wax can stimulate the body to produce more than it needs, so you’re just making things worse.
- But there are other good reasons too. Cotton buds can push earwax further into the ear canal, causing a blockage and resulting in temporary hearing loss.
- It’s easy to scratch the inside of your ear with a cotton bud which may lead to infections.
- However, the biggest concern about using cotton buds (or any other objects) to remove earwax, is the risk of damage to the ear canal or eardrum and the potential to cause permanent harm to your hearing.
There’s only one safe and approved way to remove ear wax, and that’s by microsuction, so book an appointment today by clicking here.