In my ENT practice, I do encounter many adult patients who have dug their ears with cotton buds and metal picks. However, this is the first time that I’ve seen an adult who stuck a “pen” in his ear in an attempt to clean it! The tip of the “pen” was dislodged and was stuck in his ear canal. Fortunately for him, after a quick removal of the foreign body in the clinic, there was no significant damage seen to his ear drum or ear canal. He did have a secondary infection in the ear canal as a result of not consulting a doctor till about 1 month after the incident!
After removal of the foreign body, infection of the ear canal and ear drum can be seen
The culprit – Tip of a “Pen”
As the old saying goes, “do not put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear” – meaning never insert anything in your ear! (of course except for prescribed ear drops as directed by your doctor). The ear has a built in self-cleansing conveyer-belt mechanism that pushes dead skin, trapped dirt and earwax outward at a rate of 0.05mm/day (about the same growth rate of a nail!). In addition, earwax in small amounts is actually protective of the ear canal! Here are some Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to taking care of your ear.
Cotton Buds / Swabs ( AKA Q-Tips )
Do:Use them only on the outer part of your ear, just outside the ear canal.
Don’t:Put them in your ear canal as you will end up pushing the earwax deeper and the self-cleansing mechanism of your ear will fail. In some cases, you may even injure your ear canal, puncture your ear drum or have part of the broken Q-tip stuck in your ear canal!
Cotton bud is meant for cleaning the outer ear, just outside the ear canal
Cotton bud should NOT be inserted into the ear canal!
A cotton bud is too big to be inserted into the ear canal. It will end up pushing your earwax deeper
If not careful, cotton bud inserted too deep into the ear canal can puncture the ear drum, damaging the middle and inner ear
Wax Softener (e.g Olive oil, Mineral oil, Hydrogen Peroxide, etc … )
Do:Use them regularly if you have a tendency for earwax buildup
Don’t:Use them if you have an ear infection or a hole in your eardrum
Curettes, Ear picks and Lighted Probe
Do:Let a trained healthcare professional remove your earwax with these instruments as earwax removal is a delicate procedure
Don’t:Do it yourself or ask an untrained person to do it for you
Vacuum suction and Saline irrigation / Ear Syringing
Do:Let a trained healthcare professional remove your earwax with these instruments as earwax removal is a delicate procedure
Don’t:Use over the counter ear vacuums. Studies have shown that they are too weak to be effective. Patients with a hole in their eardrum should avoid any ear irrigation
Ear Candling
Don’t:Use a burning candle with a hollow centre to suction out earwax. In 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a health warning, against the use of ear candling. Studies have shown that it is ineffective and has a risk of skin and hair burns.
