This is a collaborative post on how to have cleaner ears, that we hope is helpful.
My mother always used to say that the only thing you should put in your ears is your elbow. If you think about it, you can’t get your elbow in your ear, unless you are a contortionist with very flexible joints.
So, the question is, how do you keep your ears clean and look after them safely? They help us to hear and whilst they may look a little strange, are rather remarkably designed.
Ears don’t need much and are not high maintenance. You can protect them from noise with earplugs and if getting water in your ears causes you ear infections you can use special drops to protect them when swimming, but you don’t normally have to do much to your ears in everyday life.
The ears are usually self cleaning actually and the yellow brown substance that you have in your ears is Earwax, also known as cerumen, is secreted in the ear canal of humans and other mammals. It protects the skin of the human ear canal, assists in cleaning and lubrication, and provides protection against bacteria, fungi, and water.
We all have ear wax and usually it’s not a problem, it falls out on it’s own and our bodies deal with it. But sometimes you can get an ear wax build up which can be unsightly or uncomfortable.
It can be tempting to use earbuds to clean your ears but that can actually make the problem worse and push wax down into your ear canal and block your ears. This could lead to ear infections and you could also damage the ear canal or the sensitive area inside your ears.
If you think your ears have too much wax you need to seek professional help. Find someone who is qualified to work with you to get cleaner ears safely. Always make sure the person who is working with you has the right skills and is medically trained to work with ears and if you don’t feel comfortable, don’t agree to any treatment unless it’s been explained clearly.
Finding a reputable clinic like The Yorkshire Hearing Clinic to help you, look at what might be causing ear or hearing issues, if you think you have an excess of wax, and find you a solution to getting cleaner ears.
Day to day care of ears shouldn’t require much. Using a damp cloth to wipe them inside and out is usually enough to keep them clean, and if your ears get dry you could use a simple moisturiser to help ease that. The other tip I have is that ears can get sunburned and that can be very painful. So don’t forget to give them a layer of sun protection cream when you are applying it to your face and neck or wear a hat that protects them.
Other than that, if you leave your ears alone, they shouldn’t give you too much trouble. Always get ear attention from a specialist, and keep trying to figure out how to get your elbow in your ear, and let me know if you manage it…