Why Choose Mineral Oil for Ear Wax?

Updated on March 20th, 2020
ear wax

Ear wax usually works as a protective layer in the ear and prevents bacterial growth. Ear wax is often self-cleaning and doesn’t require any intervention for it. However, an excess of ear wax can be troublesome. It can lead to partial hearing loss, bad odor, dryness of the ear.

This process commonly affects children as cleaning their ears can also be quite a task. This is why mineral oil for ear wax is the most preferred form of cleaning by most parents. It works as a natural remedy and doesn’t cause any harm. This form of ear cleaning works very well on elders too.

 Facts

  • Mineral oil is a petroleum product and is safe to use.
  • Ear wax is made by glands in the outer ear canal.
  • Ear wax acts as a protective sheath for the ear canal.
  • Some people also claim that mineral oil, when consumed, has worked very well as a laxative.
  • Mineral oil prevents the build-up of ear wax.

How Does Mineral Oil Work on Ear Wax?

Mineral Oil
Image: ShutterStock

Let’s start with understanding what ear wax(1) is all about! Ear wax is called cerumen and is a body’s self-defensive method to protect the ears. These are known to lubricate the ear and is anti-bacterial. It self cleans itself by the movement of our jaws.

The movement during chewing moves the wax through the ear canals. If you’ve used bobby pins, or cotton swabs chances are you’ve pushed the wax inside and it cant self-clean anymore. This is when they start to accumulate in the ear canal and cause irritating symptoms.

Mineral oil for ear wax is meant to solve this problem.  When a few drops of mineral oil are put inside the ears, it liquefies the solid ear wax. Once the ear wax becomes soft, it gets easier for it to pass through the ear canal during chewing, talking, and other activities that involve jaw movements.

Methods  To Use Mineral Oil For Ear Wax

ear drops
Image: ShutterStock

Ear wax is of a protective nature, but it can cause damage to the ears if ear wax starts to get accumulated. A simple and natural solution would be to use light mineral oil(2) for ear wax removal.

Mineral oil is one of the easiest and affordable ways to get rid of ear wax; hence, it is very trendy.

  1. Start by taking a few drops from a mineral oil bottle using an eyedropper or a syringe.
  2. Gently tilt your head to the other side of the ear you want to apply light mineral oil for ear wax in.
  3. Keep your head in the same position until you can feel the oil pass through the ear properly
  4. Repeat this every day. This process allows the ear wax to loosen itself and clears the ear passage.
  5. Warm water in a microwave. Take a rubber bulb syringe and take a few drops of boiled water in it. The water must have cooled down by then.
  6. Pull the ear you have applied oil in by tilting your head to the other side. Squirt a few drops of in your ear. It is important that the water must not be hot.
  7. Allow the remaining water to flow out. Clean it with a soft cloth.
  8. Take a few drops of rubbing alcohol in the same dropper.
  9. Slightly pull the ear and apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol into your ear and wait for some time.
  10. Tilt your head to the opposite side to allow the remaining alcohol to pour out of the ear.
  11. This process dries out the ear canal, and you need not use cotton swabs anymore.

The process of cleaning out ear wax is not that difficult and is useful in solving out the purpose. The most important thing to note is that the water should be warm and not hot. The eyedropper and the syringe must always be sterilized and clean before use.

Precautions

Using mineral oil for ear wax requires some precautions that must be taken note of

  1. The mineral oil that is used must be at room temperature.
  2. An alternative to mineral oil is olive oil or baby oil.
  3. If the ear wax continues to hurt your ear its time to see your doctor.
  4. If you notice a green or yellowish discharge, rush to the doctor and don’t wait to try out home remedies.

Ear wax, when accumulated, can make it worse. It must not be left untreated. It makes it very difficult to examine too. While using mineral oil for ear wax is safe, it is always advised to get it checked with a doctor first. Avoid using cotton swabs and inserting external objects in your ear.


FAQ

1. What Kind of Mineral Oil for Ear Wax Must Be Used?

Light mineral oil works best to clean out ear wax. You can also use baby oil or alternatives like Olive oil. They are better and help in taking out the accumulated ear wax out of the outer ear canal.

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