It is common to ask “can I put peroxide in my ear” and the quick answer is yes. When done properly, you can clean your ears with hydrogen peroxide to remove ear wax, help with tinnitus, and even help to prevent ear infections. Before you use hydrogen peroxide in your ear, you should always consult a doctor, particularly if you have ongoing issues with ear infections, an injured ear, or chronic ear problems. Using hydrogen peroxide in the ear is among the most common ways to learn how to get earwax out. Learn how to get earwax out using this step-by-step guide with hydrogen peroxide right here.
Step-by-Step: How to Use Peroxide to Remove Excess Earwax
When you are trying to figure out how to get earwax out naturally, hydrogen peroxide is among the best ways to get earwax out. Ear wax is called cerumen, and peroxide works as a cerumenolytic agent to break down the chemicals and remove it from the ear canal. If you are wondering can I put peroxide in my ear, you can, but you have to be careful how you do it. Cleaning your ears with hydrogen peroxide is easy and safe in most cases, but you want to follow the instructions and talk to a doctor if you have ongoing health concerns. The most common reason that this chemical is used is that hydrogen peroxide in ear canals can help to remove impacted ear wax. It does help to accomplish this goal.
Earwax, or cerumen, is a substance in the ear that typically can remove itself through showers or by leaving the ear canal on its own. In most cases, ear wax turns into liquid and then gently flows from the ear canal during sleep, when we wash our hair or take a shower, or just through normal everyday activity. When earwax builds up or becomes impacted in the ear, earwax irrigation can help to remove the ear according to a number of studies on the topic. Using hydrogen peroxide can be the most cost-effective way of treating this problem.
Eardrops are often used to clean out the ears from excess earwax or to treat ear infections. Many over-the-counter eardrops that are purchased are mixed with hydrogen peroxide as it is a very safe and extremely effective solution to remove excess or compacted ear wax. If you are in the six percent of the general population that has a chronic earwax problem, using water alone may not be enough to remove excess earwax. One study found that using distilled water can be very effective in earwax removal. When mixed with hydrogen peroxide, the results are even more successful. Diluting hydrogen peroxide is the safest way to use it when using it to remove earwax.
When you want to remove earwax from the ears using hydrogen peroxide, you will want water or distilled water, a three percent hydrogen peroxide solution, and a towel. A syringe or dropper to mix the peroxide and water in is ideal as well. You don’t want to use a hydrogen peroxide solution any stronger than that, and you don’t need to.
Follow these steps:
- Put approximately 3 milliliters of water and 3 milliliters of hydrogen peroxide into a bowl and mix.
- Draw the solution into your tube, dropper, or syringe.
- Put the dropper into the entrance of your ear and fill your ear with the solution. It should feel warm and tingly.
- Tilt your head and allow the solution to sit for up to two minutes. You can lie down now and put your head on a pillow with the towel while you do this.
- Once a minute or two has passed, tilt your head onto the towel and the fluid will drain from your ear naturally, as will any impacted ear wax.
- Perform this procedure no more than twice daily until all of the ear wax has been drained successfully.
- You can also use this method once a month or every few months as a preventive measure to ensure that your ears stay clean.
You can not use peroxide with antibiotic treatments in the ear at the same time. The hydrogen peroxide will make the antibiotics ineffective.
Peroxide is an Ideal Solution for Ear Infections and Symptoms
Hydrogen peroxide is so effective in treating ear problems that it is a common ingredient in many over-the-counter ear drop remedies. As such, on its own as a home remedy, it can be very effective in treating some of the most common ear problems and issues. That is because a wax buildup or impacted cerumen can cause some of the most common ear problems. Using hydrogen peroxide in the ear can help to alleviate impacted cerumen, which in turn will help to alleviate other issues with the ear.
The most common everyday ear problems faced by most people are ear infections, pain in the ear, a discharge in the ear, and ringing in the ear known as tinnitus. Ear infections can present with other symptoms such as itching or tingling. Tinnitus is typically just a sound in the ear and is not accompanied by pain or physical sensations, but it can be very bothersome.
Many of these issues can be treated effectively, even if only temporarily, with hydrogen peroxide. An ear infection is the only common ear ailment that will need medical treatment that is beyond hydrogen peroxide. In other words, hydrogen peroxide will clean the ear during an ear infection, but it will not cure the ear infection. You will likely need a short course of antibiotic medication for that and may find relief with that from antibiotic ear drops. However, if you are using antibiotic ear drops, you should not use hydrogen peroxide as the peroxide will disintegrate the antibiotics before they can be effective.
Inside the ear are small glands known as cerumen glands. These glands will secrete fat and acid to prevent the ear from getting infected. The cerumen is needed in the ear to prevent dirt and debris from getting in. So you want to have a little bit of ear wax in the ear all the time. Ear wax will trap dead skin and dirt inside the ear and ear canal and will ultimately be washed away or drained naturally on its own. However, using items such as earbuds, and hearing aids, or putting anything in the ear regularly can increase the amount of debris and dust in the ear. Your cerumen glands, however, will only produce so much ear wax. So, you may find yourself at risk of more ear infections when you use these accessories unless you clean your ears regularly with a solution such as hydrogen peroxide.
You won’t need to purchase drops regularly when you are using this home remedy. Your initial purchase will be a low-grade hydrogen peroxide solution and a syringe or dropper. This purchase should last some time, making hydrogen peroxide for regular earwax removal a simple and affordable process.
Consult Your Doctor
Hydrogen peroxide is an ideal home remedy for the most common ear problems that you can treat on your own. Some ear problems may be signals of more serious ear issues, like an ear infection. If you suffer from chronic ear issues or have a persistent ear problem, you will always want to talk to a doctor before you use hydrogen peroxide to clean your ear. This is especially important if you are using any kind of medicinal ear drop for your ear issues.
Typically, hydrogen peroxide is an incredibly safe solution to use for removing ear wax or cleaning the ear. If you have symptoms such as tingling or bubbling that does not go away, you will want to consult with a doctor. If you have these symptoms prior to using hydrogen peroxide, you should not use hydrogen peroxide in the ear.
You also need to be careful about how often you use peroxide, as it can cause some skin irritation. Keep the concentration of your hydrogen peroxide solution low, and dilute the solution, and you will have a very effective ear-cleaning treatment at home.
If you are experiencing any physical symptoms that may be caused by excess cerumen or ear wax, contact a doctor before you use hydrogen peroxide. Those symptoms include ear pain, hearing problems, dizziness, and excess ear drainage that is already in place.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean Ear Wax
When you are wondering, can I put peroxide in my ear, the answer will be yes. To learn how to get earwax out safely and affordably, use hydrogen peroxide. A study in 2020 found that as much as six percent of the general population has a problem with excess earwax. This same study found that as much as 30 percent of the elderly population has a problem with excess ear wax. The older population has a tendency to shower less and use items like hearing aids more, and these may be contributing factors to excess or chronic ear wax buildup.
When you are looking for a simple and affordable way to clean and remove compacted ear wax, hydrogen peroxide works. Additionally, it is a safe treatment that can help alleviate many common ear problems. Start using hydrogen peroxide today to clean ear wax and see the difference for yourself.
