How to Take Care of Your Ears

From cleaning to sun protection, discover these practical ear care tips.

Your ears do a lot for you, from helping to transmit sound and maintain your balance to cleaning themselves and growing along with you. They contain the smallest bones in your body and yet are responsible for so much. To help keep them healthy, use these tips to learn how to take care of your ears:

Don’t insert anything into your ears
It’s critical to remember never to insert foreign objects smaller than your elbow into your ears, especially cotton swabs for cleaning. Small objects like these can injure your ear canal, cause infections, or even puncture your eardrum. Also, cotton swabs can push the earwax deeper into your ear canal. If you want to clean your ears, follow our next ear care tip.

Clean your ears safely
To clean your ears safely, start by washing your outer ear carefully with a warm washcloth. Your ears usually don’t need to be cleaned internally because they have a built-in self-cleaning mechanism. However, if you have earwax buildup or your ears feel clogged or painful, it’s best to visit your doctor or audiologist so they can use a safe method to remove the blockage for you.