Do you clean your ears the right way?

There is some confusion as regards the proper way to clean the ears. Note the following tips for good aural hygiene:

• Correct aural hygiene of the ear is essential to eliminate excess earwax (cerumen), dead skin and any impurities present in the ear canal. Failure to do so may damage your hearing.

• Hygiene must be carried out carefully and gently to prevent damage to the eardrum, skin irritations and external otitis.

• If you use swabs, do not insert them far into the ear canal. This will prevent the wax from being crushed at the bottom of the ear canal, blocking it. Use them only to clean the entrance of the ear canal and the auricle.

• To soften and dissolve any impacted wax that may form, it is advisable to use a cerumenolytic (wax softening) spray.

• It is advisable to use a cleansing spray 2 to 3 times per week in order to dilute the combination of earwax and decayed skin that forms, ensuring its evacuation. This way, your ears will always be clean and you will avoid the uncomfortable formation of impacted wax.