Can impacted cerumen be removed by ear cleaning?
Disease description:
I’m traveling and came across an ear-cleaning service—I’d like to try it. But suddenly I remembered I have impacted cerumen. Is it still safe to have my ears cleaned?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Xu Gang
Ear cleaning (aural toilet) may be performed when symptoms such as ear itching, hearing loss, and tinnitus occur. Severe cerumen impaction can impair hearing, and secondary infection may cause ear pain and other discomforts. If patients use objects—such as cotton swabs or hairpins—to clean their ears, they risk inducing external auditory canal inflammation, infection, and mucosal injury. Regular ear canal cleaning is therefore recommended to prevent accumulation of desquamated debris and foreign material in the ear canal.
