Do Q-tips effectively clean ear wax or is there a better option?

Question

My ears tend to get real waxy and q tips don't seem to work somebody told me they actually push wax further in your ear,
is there any truth to that? and whats an alternative to Q-tips?

Answer 1

i find that they work the bet. but you should dip them in Peroxied so that you can fight ear infection from tainted Q tips. also to fight black heads and or zits that may form because you dont have as much wax there to dtop the oil's from forming

Answer 2

Q tips are the WORSE option, because it pushes the wax back into the ear canal and you could also punch a hole in the ear drum.

Go to a pharmacy and get the ORC for ear wax removal that includes a bulb for water. Have somone put in 10 drops and a cotton ball gently in ear. Wait 30 minutes and have them gentle flush with warm water with some hydrogen peroxide in it. Then for the next ten days use 5 drops a day. IF at the end of that time you still have problems, you need to see a doctor. Sometimes the wax and dirty build up requires a specialist to remove it with a special tool you cannot buy.

Don't take a chance on losing your hearing!!!

Answer 3

Hi, hoping your son may be treated now and feeling a whole lot better. But for anyone interested, I used a Q tip in my ear and lost my hearing temporarily. The cotton on the end had come loose and stayed inside my ear. I had the ear specialist remove it but it also became infected and the pain was really bad but as the antibiotics kicked in, the pain slowly dissapeared. My son has grommets in his ears and when wax builds up around these he suffers a lot of pain. My doctor has given him antibiotics but also recommended using a few drops of warm olive oil (pure) into the ear using an eye dropper. I have been doing this twice a day in the week following the doctors advice and this has helped to soften the wax so the grommets can do their job properly. Anyway, just thought I would share this with you all.

Answer 4

Ear wax CAN move ear wax further back, but it can also take more out. It depends how you are doing it and the shapes and curves of your ear.

There are ear drops which help loosen up wax safely that I would recommend using since you saw you have very waxy ears.

Answer 5

short of using a earwax syringe, Q tips are really good. Just do it immediately after getting out of a hot shower when the wax is fairly soft. No it doesn't push it further in just use 3 or 4 to get it properly clean. I've never had a problem with them and have been using them all my life

Answer 6

q-tips are not good for cleaning wax! It does push it further in your ear. There is this tiny chinese looking scoop thing that works great. ( forgot the name of it). Also you should check out spas or massage places that do ear candling. it is safer and more effective. if all else fails go to an ear nose and throat specialist.

Answer 7

yes. the OTC (over the counter) ear drops that you use by directions on the bottle and the small syringe to wash the wax out after it's softened is really good. The doc. or nurse can do a great job also.

Answer 8

I've hear that the qtip is bad because it pushes wax into the ear and makes in hard to fight infections. I have heard that you should use alcohol on the qtip in order to "clean" out the wax. not sure if this is true tho never tried it.

Answer 9

Q-tips actually push the wax back in your ears. It doesnt get all the wax out, just some. They sell some paraffin ear candles that you can use if its really bad.

http://www.gnc.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=ear&origkw=ear&sr=1

Answer 10

I think you should go to your doctor and ask if he or she can use a machine to wash your ears.