IT’S official: It’s time to stop shoving things in your ears.

    The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has updated its best-practice guidelines, which offer evidence-based recommendations on diagnosis and treatment of earwax, as well as do’s and don’ts for healthy ear care.

    “There is an inclination for people to want to clean their ears because they believe earwax is an indication of uncleanliness,” Seth R. Schwartz, M.D., chair of the guideline update group, said in a press release. “This misinformation leads to unsafe ear health habits.”

    The overall theme: Quit the obsession with cleaning your ears. “I do agree with these new guidelines, and there is one statement in the press release that I was actually taught by an older doctor that I trained with who said, ‘Don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear,’” said Jennifer Caudle, a family physician and assistant professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

    That’s because the small, seemingly harmless objects can cause significant damage. “I know people want to stick things in their ears and they think it’s the right thing to do, but Q-tips and bobby pins can cause holes in the eardrum, irritation in the canal, and can predispose you to getting infections,” she said.

    In fact, Caudle stresses that having this gooey substance in your ears is actually a good thing.

    “Yes, it looks gross — I get it — but the wax serves as a form of protection.”

    Earwax acts as a self-cleaning agent to keep ears healthy, as stated in the press release, and provides a barrier against bacteria, dust, dirt, and bugs. “One of the reasons why people get swimmer’s ear is because the water in the pool washes out the wax and predisposes them to infections,” said Caudle. “So yes, we need wax.”

    She states that in the ideal situation, extra earwax naturally migrates out of the ear canal. However, if the self-cleaning process fails and wax buildup occurs — which may cause ear pain, itching, a feeling of fullness in the ear, ringing in the ears, or temporary hearing loss — Caudle recommends using an over-the-counter earwax removal product (like Debrox). “This solution softens the wax so it can come out.” (SD-Agencies)