Is “ear cleaning” good for the ears?

This is the 3453th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Have you seen the trending search "Ear cleaning tools for picking feet"? Although this matter has been reversed and clarified many times, regardless of the outcome, this news has indeed pushed "ear cleaning" to the forefront. Dayi Xiaohu will take you to understand - what is "ear cleaning"? Is "ear cleaning" good for the ears?

"Ear cleaning shops" have become popular in recent years

What is the ear cleaning service like?

Ear cleaning is the process of cleaning the ears. In life, many people like to clean their ears, or are not satisfied with doing it themselves, so they seek the services of ear cleaners, so that ear cleaning has become a health care industry from a separate livelihood.

Everyone says that ear cleaning is very comfortable and makes people feel like they are floating in the air

The steps of ear cleaning are complicated and the tools are varied. The ear cleaner will first clean the foreign objects in the ear from shallow to deep. Then, they will use various feather sticks to massage the ear wall, use the horsetail tool to rotate and rub the eardrum, and finally insert the silver goose feather stick into the ear hole, and use the tuning fork to vibrate the exposed metal handle part and pull it regularly, so that the vibration is transmitted to the ear along the silver wire... It is a complete health care for the ear! It sounds very tempting.

Simply put, ear cleaning is to clean the ears and massage the ears to help customers relax. However, behind the "comfortable" ear cleaning service, there is a risk to ear health.

Ear cleaning is comfortable and hygienic, but it has risks

Feather sticks are prone to shedding fine fluff

First of all, the tools used by ear cleaners are mostly fluffy feather sticks, which can stimulate the ear canal and bring pleasure, but the tiny fluff is easy to fall off.

Furthermore, the tools used to clean the ears cannot be completely disinfected. According to experts, the incidence of fungal infections in the external auditory canal has increased significantly compared to before. People call it "beriberi in the ears." This is mainly related to the popularity of ear cleaning shops, and even some foot bath shops offer ear cleaning services. Think about it... It's scary to think about it, and the hygiene situation is worrying.

Is there such a store near your home? We do not recommend you to go outside to have your ears cleaned!

You may wonder, since ear cleaning shops have health risks, is it safe to clean your ears yourself? Furthermore, should you clean your ears at all? To answer these questions, we need to understand earwax - it grows in the ear canal, but is it treated as a foreign body and "killed away"... Do you think it is unfair?

The "gatekeeper" of the ear

What is earwax used for?

Dayi Xiaohu reminds you that earwax is not useless as people think. It protects your ears silently. How much do you know about the role of earwax?

Moisturizing and lubricating the ear canal

Prevent dust and other foreign objects from entering the ears

Weak bactericidal effect

Filtering and buffering incoming sound waves

Similar to going out to "pick your ears", even if you do it yourself, you cannot guarantee that the tools are sterilized. The cotton swab may drop cotton wool, and there is a risk of puncturing the eardrum. Incorrect operation and its potential dangers are shown in the figure below.

Do you often do the wrong way of cleaning your ears?

The good news is that most of the time, earwax will fall out through chewing, opening the mouth, and other movements. In other words, there is no need to frequently pick your ears. If you want to do it yourself, be sure to pay attention to the strength, slowly and gently!

Hospital Otolaryngology Department

Clogged ear canal? Don't panic

However, when too much earwax mixes with the epithelium and dust that falls off the external auditory canal, it will form a large mass and block the external auditory canal. In mild cases, the ear will feel stuffy and uncomfortable, hearing loss, and itchy ears. In severe cases, it may cause dizziness. At this time, you need to go to the hospital to remove the earwax manually.

There are formal channels and professional operations in the hospital. The combination of ear drops and suction devices will solve the hardened cerumen. With the help of an otoscope, or even with an imaging system, the doctor can obtain clear images and accurately know the location of the cerumen. Generally, for patients who cannot directly remove cerumen blockages, 5% sodium bicarbonate solution is usually used for ear drops and soaking, several times a day, for several days. Remove the cerumen after it swells. If you encounter ear discomfort, rest assured to leave your ears to the doctor.

// References

[1] Zheng Jinmei. Understand earwax and don’t pick your ears randomly[J]. Shanxi Elderly, 2021(08)

https://wap.cnki.net/touch/web/Journal/Article/JSWB201702048.html

[2] Li Zhenhua. Experience in the rapid treatment of cerumen embolism[J]. Medical Information (Xi'an) 2015; 28(7): 216

http://www.sinomed.ac.cn/zh/detail.do?ui=2017529210

[3] https://baike.baidu.com/item/耵聍/6796725?ivk_sa=1022817p

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