Cleaning your ears can be an uncomfortable experience. You are probably wondering if you are removing earwax in a safe and effective way when using at-home remedies.

Ear irrigation is an effective method of ear cleaning. It involves flushing your ears with liquid to remove earwax buildup and foreign matter.

Hearing loss, chronic cough, itching, and pain are symptoms that accompany an earwax buildup. The removal of this earwax is an indication for ear irrigation. Other methods of earwax removal include the use of earwax softener drops and mechanical removal of wax by a healthcare professional. Please do not try to remove earwax yourself using cotton swabs or hairpins. You can easily damage your eardrum in the process.

Irrigation does an effective job of removal, but it does have risks. Physicians will not suggest irrigating the ears for people with specific medical histories. Please remember that It is best to have a healthcare professional irrigate your ears.

To irrigate your ears, try the following:

• Wash hands before you begin cleaning.
• Sit upright and place a towel on the shoulder to collect water draining from the ear.
• Using a finger, softly pull ear upward and backward, allowing water to enter the ear.
• Insert the syringe up and toward the back of the ear, which helps the earwax separate from the ear and drain.
• Lightly press the syringe to permit water to enter the ear. If pain or pressure is present, stop the irrigation.
• Finally, dry the ear with a cloth or administer a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol into the ear.

Excessive earwax buildup can lead to problems. Irrigating the ears with liquid is an effective method to loosen and remove the wax from the ear. A healthcare professional can safely irrigate your ears for you, or you can choose to follow the guidelines above.

Medical professionals constantly recommend against using cotton swabs or other objects in the ear to remove earwax or to clean out dirt or debris. This is because you can easily damage your ear. A cotton swab can easily reach the eardrum when inserted in your ear canal, and the eardrum is very fragile. Even if you try to be gentle, you could puncture your delicate eardrum without the use of much pressure. A ruptured eardrum is very painful and can even result in hearing loss.

To avoid rupturing your eardrum or causing any other type of damage to your ears or your hearing, you should never insert a cotton swab or any other object in your ear, including your finger, a hairpin, a pen or pencil, tweezers, or a paper clip. In addition to endangering your eardrum, inserting objects like these into your ear canal can lead to impacted earwax, rather than earwax removal.