.

October 29, 2014    Many people regularly clean their ears with the best intentions of keeping them clean and healthy. However, ears are not designed for cleaning. In fact, they have their own hygienic regime in place, and by sticking objects into the ear, you are only disrupting this natural process. Or worse, causing an injury. The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNSF), warns against the use of cotton-tipped applicators and the habit of probing into your ears. On their official website, they connect the over-zealous ear cleaning with the risk of hearing loss. Ear wax, medically known as cerumen, is a healthy feature of your ears and acts as a self-cleaning agent. It has protective, lubricating and anti-bacterial characteristics. It migrates from the ear drum to the ear opening, cleaning the ear canal, and then drying and falling out. This is a self-regulating process and in normal circumstances, there is no need to interfere. If the...