Earwax is like a self-cleaning filter for your ears, trapping dirt and dust. Doctors agree, never to put something smaller than your elbow into your ear canal. That means that cotton swabs can be used to remove earwax from the outside of the canal of your ears very carefully, but never inserted into the ear canal.
Wearing hearing aids, ear plugs or putting a cotton swab inside the ear canal can cause excess wax to develop. If too much earwax builds up and starts to cause symptoms the safest way to have it removed is to visit a doctor.
If you feel like you have too much earwax buildup you can gently clean the outside of your ears:
- Wipe the area using a warm, damp washcloth.
- Drain and rinse with over-the-counter eardrops that soften the wax.
- Irrigate your ears using a syringe filled with water or a saline solution.
Ears usually do a good job cleaning themselves.
“But Alas...EARWAX” J.K. Rowling