Earwax, or what is medically known as cerumen, serves to protect and lubricate the ear. Cerumen impaction, or earwax accumulation on the eardrum, can sometimes occur even if the ear normally cleans itself. Symptoms of this problem include ear pain, partial or complete loss of hearing, ringing in the ears, itching, discharge of odor or discharge, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. There are a number of commercial products that can help clean the ear and remove excess cerumen, such as solutions and drops that use a gentle suction device to suck up cerumen and particles of wax from inside the ear. You should never try to remove the cerumen by inserting a device (such as an earplug) into the ear. Instead, soften the cerumen by dripping on a homemade ear cleaner.
Ingredients
Oil Based Cleanser
- Ear drop bottle or eye drop bottle
- Olive oil or mineral oil
- Additional oil (St. John's wort, mullein, garlic, etc.) (optional)
- Cotton ball (optional)
- Ear cleaning ball (optional)
Copy Solution
- cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt or table salt)
- Cotton ball or eardropper
- Ear cleaning ball (optional)
Hydrogen Peroxide Solution
- Warm water and hydrogen peroxide 1:1
- Cotton ball or eardropper
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making an Oil Based Cleanser
Step 1. Prepare a small bottle
You can buy a bottle of ear drops or use a small 30 ml bottle that comes with an eye dropper.
Step 2. Fill the bottle with the oil of your choice
Use mineral oil or olive oil.
- Oil-based cleansers have the advantage of being able to lubricate the ear canal. Cerumen is a kind of wax, or semisolid oil, so an oil-based cleanser is better suited to dissolving it. Remember the chemistry principle "like dissolves like"?, this also applies in the process of cleaning the cerumen. The best way to dissolve oil and wax is to use another oil.
- Pour the extra oil into the solution. If your ears hurt, add 5 drops of mullein oil and 3 drops of St. oil. John's wort into every 30 ml of olive or mineral oil. St. Oil John's wort is efficacious as a pain reliever, while mullein oil can protect the skin surface of the ear canal, as well as efficacious as antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory (pain reliever), and antiviral. Consult the use of St. John's wort with medical personnel because this ingredient can interact with a variety of prescription drugs.
- Garlic oil can also be used in oil-based solutions as an antibacterial agent. If you want to add garlic oil to olive oil or mineral oil, reduce the volume of mullein oil to 3 drops and St. John's wort into 2 drops. Then, add 3 drops of garlic oil.
Step 3. Warm the oil by hand
To avoid dizziness, the temperature of the oil you use should be close to body temperature.
- You can also warm up the oil by placing it in hot water for about 5 minutes.
- Put a drop on your wrist first to make sure the oil isn't too hot.
- Do not use the microwave to warm the oil. Warming the oil to the right temperature evenly is difficult in a microwave.
Step 4. Lightly saturate a cotton ball with the warmed oil
Place the cotton ball in the ear.
- Alternatively, tilt your head and use an eardropper to pour 1 or 2 drops of the warmed oil into your ear.
- As the oil enters the ear canal, you may feel a little chill. This is normal and will pass soon. This means that the temperature of the oil you are using should be even warmer.
Step 5. Keep your head tilted for 3-5 minutes
Thus, the solution will not come out much. However, keep a tissue ready to catch any liquid that comes out, especially if you use a drip kit. Next, throw away the cotton ball after use.
You can try lying on your side with the side of the ear that is not blocked on the pillow. This position allows the solution to enter the blocked ear without straining your neck while tilting your head in a sitting or standing position
Step 6. Repeat this treatment 3-5 times a day
Your ear wax should wear off over time.
- You can also rinse your ears with a cleaning ball after dripping the oil. Fill the cleaning ball with warm water. After soaking the ear with oil for 3-5 minutes (as described above), tilt your head again and place the tip of the cleaning ball near the ear canal. Do not insert this ball into the ear canal. Gently press until the water in the ball comes out around the ear canal. In most cases, 2-3 treatments (using oil and a water rinse) are sufficient to remove most of the cerumen.
- Avoid rinsing your ears with water if you have diabetes, have a perforated eardrum, have a weakened immune system, or have a tube in your eardrum. In such cases, the process of rinsing (irrigating) the ear should be carried out under the supervision of a medical professional.
Method 2 of 3: Making a Copy Solution
Step 1. Warm cup of water
The temperature of the water used should be warm but not hot. You can boil water in a teapot and pour in as much as needed and allow it to cool. Alternatively, turn on the tap water until the temperature is warm enough (not lukewarm).
Step 2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water
You can use table salt, but sea salt is best.
The combination of warm water and salt is what makes the solution called "salt". "Copy" means containing or saturated with salt
Step 3. Slightly moisten a cotton ball with the saline solution
Place the cotton ball in the ear for 3-5 minutes.
You can also use this solution without a cotton ball. Tilt your head and use an eardropper, put 1 or 2 drops of warmed salt water into your ear
Step 4. Continue to tilt your head for 3-5 minutes
Thus, the solution will not come out too much. However, keep a tissue nearby to catch any oozing, especially if you're using a drip kit. Next, throw away the cotton ball after use.
Step 5. Repeat this treatment 3-5 times a day
Cerumen should eventually disappear.
- Warm saline solution can dissolve cerumen like oil-based cleansers. However, you may have to repeat this treatment more than the oil treatment, as warm saline solution does not dissolve the cerumen as strongly as oil.
- You can also rinse your ears with a cleaning ball after dripping the oil. Fill the cleaning ball with warm water. After wetting the ear with saline for 3-5 minutes (as described above), tilt your head again and place the tip of the cleaning ball near the ear canal. Do not insert this ball into the ear canal. Gently press until the water in the ball comes out around the ear canal. In most cases, 2-3 treatments (using oil and a water rinse) are sufficient to remove most of the cerumen.
Method 3 of 3: Making Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner
Step 1. Purchase a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
You can usually buy this solution at your local pharmacy.
Step 2. Mix very warm water and 1:1 hydrogen peroxide
Pour a few drops of the solution onto your wrist to make sure the temperature is right.
Step 3. Continue with the same steps as for the oil and saline solution
Use a cotton ball or eardropper to apply the solution to the inner ear. Wait a few minutes while tilting your head.
Warning
- If after 2-3 days of cleaning the ears yourself, the symptoms of cerumen accumulation do not improve, consult a doctor. The doctor can diagnose whether the accumulation of cerumen is indeed the cause and remove the accumulated cerumen effectively.
- Avoid using ear wax as a cleanser. Ear wax has been linked to a number of injuries, including burns, perforation of the eardrum, and the entry of melted wax into the ear canal. The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) also states that the risk of ear injury is higher when using ear wax treatments than other methods.
- If there is fluid coming out of the ear, contact a doctor immediately. Do not try to clean your own ears.
