Dr Sara warns over using cotton earbuds to clean ears – ‘Don’t use them’

Earwax buildup can cause hearing loss, earache, and in some cases vertigo. But according to Dr Sara you should never use cotton earbuds to remove it.

Appearing on This Morning, she advised: “I hate cotton earbuds, don’t ever use them.

“Our ears are self-cleaning, the wax should be able to come out by itself.

“We’ve got these tiny little hairs that ciliate in our ears and push out the wax.

“When you put earbuds in your ears that actually kills off those little hairs, stops it from being allowed to come out, and you could damage the lining of your eardrums and damage the actual membrane. So don’t use them!”

As Dr Sara explained, earwax usually falls out on its own. But if it doesn’t and blocks your ear, the NHS recommends putting two to three drops of medical grade olive or almond oil in your ear three to four times a day, for three to five days.

It’s recommended you use a dropper while lying your head on one side for a few minutes to let the oil work its way through your ear canal(s).

The health body further advises: “You may find it easier to do this first thing in the morning and then just before you go to sleep.

“Over about two weeks, lumps of earwax should fall out of your ear, especially at night when you’re lying down.”

Ear candles or ear vacuums should be avoided, and you shouldn’t use drops if you have a hole in your eardrum.

It may also be worth speaking to a pharmacist. They may recommend medicines to dissolve the earwax.

Earwax cannot be prevented as it’s there to protect your ears from dirt and germs.

You should see a nurse at your GP practice if:

• your symptoms have not cleared after five days
• your ear is badly blocked and you cannot hear anything (you can get an infection if it has not cleared)