Cotton fibres, while appearing nice and fuzzy, she says, are actually quite abrasive. And that can cause your ear to produce more wax to protect the now-vulnerable skin.
Cotton tips can also push earwax deeper into your ear canal, where it can cause a build-up, she says – leading to symptoms such as itching, pain, feelings of fullness or dizziness. If it becomes bad enough, it might cause muffled hearing, too.
Kim said that people with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis might also have a greater risk of impaction, as could people with small or differently shaped ear canals.
If you think you might have a blockage, go to a doctor who can safely remove it, says Dr Tiffany Peng Hwa, an ear, nose and throat doctor at Penn Medicine.
Other strategies for clearing your ears
The best way to keep your ears clean and healthy is to leave your earwax alone, experts say. But if you absolutely can’t resist the urge to poke around in there, experts have tips on how to clean them safely.
Use a washcloth
Quimby recommends wiping the outer ear (called the pinna) with a moist washcloth, just as you would wipe other parts of your body. “Clean the outer part you can get to, but nothing deeper,” she says.
Try ear drops
To help your ear with its natural self-cleaning process, Schwartz recommends over-the-counter ear drops. These tend to be best for those with naturally drier earwax, he says, since they work by softening the wax, making it easier to clear.
Some people find drops ineffective – or as effective as using drops of water – but because they’re generally safe, experts recommend ear drops over swabs.
Avoid DIY tools
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Beyond cotton swabs, experts warn against using any homemade or store-bought tools that allow you to scrape, pick or scoop the wax from your ear. These tools are as dangerous as cotton tips, Schwartz says.
He also advises against ear candling, which involves placing the unlit end of a hollow candle in the ear canal and lighting the other end. This is supposed to create suction that pulls the earwax out. But candles are both ineffective and dangerous, Schwartz says. They can lead to burns; and the visible leftover wax, which some people might consider as proof that the technique worked, is really just wax from the candle, not earwax.
If you can’t resist cotton tips, use them responsibly. Still, some people feel the urge to use cotton swabs despite their risks, Hwa says. “If you’re using them to sop up a little moisture right around the opening of your ear, that’s probably fine,” she says.
But it shouldn’t go any deeper than that. And if your ears hurt, itch or feel clogged, go to a doctor who can diagnose a blockage and remove it safely. That’s the least risky approach, Hwa says.
The New York Times
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