Should we regularly get earwax for babies?

You often get earwax for your baby because you think this will help your baby's ears cleaner. However, is this true? Let aFamilyToday Health learn about this issue.

Earwax is not dirt, needs to be cleaned as everyone thinks. Earwax is a mixture of substances secreted in the lining of the ear canal, dead skin cells, and sweat. Therefore, earwax appearing in a child's ears is normal and natural.

Why should not get earwax?

When parents want to clean their ears, parents often get earwax for their babies. Here are some reasons why you should not get earwax on your baby:
• Earwax is produced in the ear canal, which belongs to the self-cleaning mechanism of the ear canal, which is pushed from the ear cushions to the ear.
• Taking earwax with a cotton swab or other devices can cause the wax to go deeper inwards, clog the ears.
• Earwax removal devices can cause ear damage, pus swelling, and even temporary deafness.

How important is earwax to your baby?

Earwax acts as a natural lubricant, helping to clean, remove dirt in the ear canal and keep the ears clean. When hand wipes dry, the outer ear canal will clean itself. Thanks to chewing and movement of the jaw, old earwax and dead cells continuously move from the eardrum to the outer ear. They dry up and fall off.

Parents often do not know that earwax is very useful for babies because it helps to protect ears from dirt from the environment, especially when they play in outdoor play areas. Here are other benefits of earwax:

• Earwax helps to regulate pH, kill fungus, kill bacteria and protect the sensitive lining of the ear canal from water.
• Softens the skin, limits the burning inside the ears, thus avoiding itching and cracking.
• Hand washing helps prevent insects from getting into your baby's ear canal.
• Reduces dead cells inside the ear as earwax carries them out.

When should I get earwax for my baby?

Earwax is not always self-eliminated. Sometimes earwax stays in the ear and makes the baby uncomfortable. You should get earwax when your baby has the following symptoms:
• Ear pain
• Tinnitus, noise in the ear
• Unscrupulous hearing
• Itching
• Watering
• Pus discharge in the ear
• Cough.

How to get ear wax for your baby

When earwax is too much but does not drain pus, you can get the earwax for your baby as follows:
• The safest way is to buy ear drops from a pharmacy. Put a few drops in the ear, then lay the baby on his side to let the wax drain.
• You can also use a cotton swab, absorb moisture, and then wipe the outer hole of the ear canal.
• If the wax is heavy and dry, you can use a little massage oil to soften the earwax.

Things you shouldn't do

You do not need to clean the baby's ears every day because this will interrupt the self-cleaning mechanism of earwax. If you have used earwax for your baby, you should pay attention to the following:
• Do not pick your baby's ear with a plastic stick with two ends of cotton swabs as this may push the wax further in.
• Do not use objects such as hairpins or sharp objects to remove earwax. This not only scratches the ear canal, but also causes an infection. More dangerous can also damage the eardrum of the baby.
• Do not use ear wax candles as this has not been proven to remove wax. More importantly, this also causes serious ear damage.
• Do not use cleaning sprays to clean baby's ears because the force of water can damage the ears.

What to do if the ear is infected?

If too much earwax is accompanied by symptoms such as fever, insomnia, severe pain and itchy ears, your baby is more likely to develop an ear infection. Take your baby to the doctor right away.