Should parents clean wax from their kids ears?

dr jafferhusein sura
Feb 16, 2023
2 min read

Children are very unpredictable and we may see a 3 year old cooperate amazingly with the doctor while an 11 year old cry inconsolably and not sit still. So the question I ask myself is "Is it necessary to actively intervene in this case?"

Wax is traditionally NOT PAINFUL. It may lead to:

1. Irritation in the ears.

2. Blocked ears ---when water gets in.

So should we clean the ear of a child?

Is it necessary to do that? How to do it correctly?

Lets see some common ways to help our offspring when they itch their ears.

Tip #1 - Do Not Use Ear buds.

A child has an ear canal which is small and the size of the Q-tip is as large if not larger than it. So stay away from cleaning it yourself. You will only end up pushing the wax further into the canal.

Tip #2 - Use wax dissolving drops

if you have seen that there is wax in the ear, then use drops to dissolve it. These drops need to be used frequently rather than just once or twice a day. They need to be used for at least 3-5 days. The wax will dissolve itself.

"SOMETIMES THE SMARTEST THING TO DO, IS NOTHING" – A LAZY FELLOW OR A GOOD ENT.

Tip #3 - Using a Wet Towel

If your child has itchy ears and keeps at it leading to pain, use a wet towel or handkerchief to wipe the ears off after a bath. It will clean away all the dead skin and make it less itchy.

Tip #4 - Coconut oil or Olive oil

Back in the day our granny used to heat a clove of garlic in oil and place that into the ear. DO NOT DO THAT.

But what can be done is just wet your finger in a bit of coconut oil and wipe the ear canal. That will provide lubrication and stop the itching.

Tip #5 - Visit the ENT

In case there is persistent itching which has led to redness and pain, please take the child to the ENT. It might be that the itching is NOT due to wax and it may in fact be an infection.

As an ENT I do not clean a Childs ear unless there is significant pain, in order to visualise the ear drum. If in fact it is not possible to clean the ear, I assume it is an infection and treat accordingly.

So what is wax and why are we discussing it in such detail?

Wax or Cerumen is a natural secretion of the ears. It is usually formed in the outer 1/3rd of the canal, and due to the presence of hairs there, gets extruded naturally.

Some people produce more, while some people do not clear it adequately. This leads to a build up.

So as a natural secretion which also clears itself, we should avoid cleaning the ear and even putting water in the ears while bathing. Doing so is affecting the natural state and may lead to trouble.