Our ears produce wax for protection from foreign bodies and then it is naturally removed through the outer ears. This mechanism is sometimes disrupted causing wax build-up in the ears leading to infections, itching, fluid buildup, pain, tinnitus, and discomfort.
Do you also have wax accumulated into the ears causing a disturbance in your daily life activities? Do you want to know how to prevent wax buildup in adults? Here is what you can do!
Tips for Preventing Ear Wax Buildup
1. Avoid Inserting Cotton Buds or Sharp Objects into the Ear Canal
When cotton buds are used to remove the earwax, their small round edges push the wax deeper into the ears to make way in the ear canal.
Small sharp objects like pencils or keys when inserted in ears also do the same. They also scrape off the ear walls allowing the bacteria to infect the ears. So, use some safer methods, as mentioned below, for earwax removal:
- Use Eardrops for Wax Removal: Earwax softening drops like hydrogen peroxide, or sodium bicarbonate can be used in ears for about 7 days. After 7 days, your ears will be clear of any hardened wax
- Try Bebird Note5 ProEar Wax Removal Kit: It is a thin ear camera cleaner that allows wax removal and regular observation of the ear health. How? It has one of the world’s tiniest otoscopes along with a tweezer that can be used to ensure that the tweezers target the correct area
2. Maintain the Ear Hygiene
When wax accumulates in the ears, it keeps trapping the dust particles. This unhygienic ear environment can be easily invaded by bacteria leading to mild to moderate ear infections initially. When left untreated, they can develop into serious problems.
So, keep these points in mind to ensure your ears are safe and clean:
- While taking a bath, do not forget to clean the outer side and the back of your ears with mild soap and water
- Then dry out the excessive moisture from your ears by gently patting the outer area of your ears with a tissue or towel
- Inserting the dirty fingers forcefully into the ears for itching not only pushes the wax toward the ear drum but also contaminates the ears
- If you are a regular earbud cleaner, you must maintain the cleanliness of those tiny speakers. Also, give your ears a rest from these earbuds after every four hours to let the airflow through your ears
3. Use Ear Protection Devices in Noisy Environments
Exposure to music or loud sounds also determines the health of our ears. The delicate inner ear structures can be easily damaged by continuous loud sounds. Following are some measures that can help you to protect the ears:
- Wear Ear Protection: Wearing earplugs or earmuffs in noisy environments can help cancel out or reduce the noise levels significantly
- Limit Your Exposure to Excessive Noise: According to ASHA, exposure to 70 dBA noise level is okay but listening to 85 dBA sounds for more than 8 hours can cause hearing damage. The higher the level, the faster will this damage be. To prevent this, reduce your exposure to excessive noise
- Take Short Breaks: If you are working in a loud environment and cannot avoid it, just take a break after every 2-4 hours. Giving your ears a rest can reduce the risk of hearing damage
4. Avoid the Buildup of Water in the Ears
If you are a fan of water activities, you must be aware of maintaining ear hygiene and the ways to protect the ears in water. Bacteria can easily survive in a moist environment.
Furthermore, the mixing of wax and water in ears can cause clogging and make the wax removal difficult. What to do in this situation? Let’s see!
For Protection from Water:
- Whenever you are going swimming or any other water activity that requires a long time stay in the water, wear swimming caps. They will cover your ears and prevent the entry of water into the ears. You can also use swimming earplugs
- If water goes into the ears while swimming or showering, tilt your head to one side and pull your earlobe backward to drain this water as quickly as possible
For Drying the Ears:
- For drying, either use a soft towel or a hair dryer. For using the towel, just dab it on the outer side of the ears gently. On the other hand, a dryer, when used on lower settings, can also help in drying the ears more thoroughly
- Also allows adequate flow of air to your ears as this can help in keeping the ear canal dry to minimize the risk of ear clogging and infections
5. Regular Checkups with a Healthcare Professional
If you are facing recurrent issues of earwax accumulation, having an appointment with a healthcare professional is necessary. The professional can thoroughly examine the outer and inner structures of your ears and identify any risk factors causing this wax accumulation.
In addition, they can also guide you about the most suitable wax removal methods for your ears. However, going for checkups once is not enough. To ensure that your ears stay healthy for long, go for regular checkups (at least once every six months or a year). This will help in the timely identification of ear problems and treat them accordingly.
Conclusion
A minor problem such as wax accumulation in our ears can cause discomfort and disturb our daily activities. The only thought you will have is to somehow reach the ear canal and scratch it. However, letting your intrusive thoughts win might disrupt the ear structures, cause infection, or lead to hearing problems.
Therefore, it is essential to maintain the health of your ears and take measures to reduce the chances of wax buildup in the ears. For instance, you can use eardrops instead of earbuds to remove the wax. Moreover, keep your ears clean and dry to ensure that no bacteria harms them.
