What is the best way to clean my ears?
For most people, the ears are actually self-cleaning. Simply washing the outer ear with soap and water when showering, bathing, or shampooing is usually all that is needed to keep your ears clean. The presence of ear wax does not mean your ears are dirty. Wax, which is manufactured by specialized glands in the outer part of the ear canals, is a normal component of the ear canals and functions to protect the delicate skin of the ear canals. The “massage” of the outer ear canal by talking and chewing tends to naturally propel the wax out of the ear canal. Inserting Q-tips, toothpicks, matchsticks, or bobby pins into the opening of the ear canals is not only unnecessary, it actually pushes wax farther down into the canal and it can be dangerous. These instruments often scrape the delicate skin of the canals causing pain, bleeding, or infection. This can puncture the eardrum or cause more serious injuries to the inner ear, some of which can be permanent. Those who have normal ears (i.e., n
