How to rinse your ear at home
We will tell you how and how to flush the ear canal at home, as well as in what cases this procedure is performed.
If there is discomfort in the ear, congestion, pain or extraneous noise and ringing, see an otolaryngologist. If a visit is not possible, flush the ear canal yourself. However, you can do this if you are sure exactly what is causing the discomfort.
You will need hydrogen peroxide, water, and a syringe to rinse your ear.
Washing the ear canal is allowed for otitis media, when pus accumulates in it. If a large amount of wax has accumulated in the ear, it is also removed by rinsing, which restores the normal perception of sounds.
Important: follow the procedure carefully so as not to injure the eardrum.
How do I wash my ear at home?
To remove sulfur plug or pus use 3% hydrogen peroxide, water and cotton wool… Peroxide removes pathogens.
Follow the procedure in the following order:
Lie on your side. The assistant should have free access to the stuffy ear.
Use a pipette to drop 1–2 ml of peroxide into your ear.
Make a loose ball of cotton wool and close the ear canal with it.
Lie in a horizontal position for 3-5 minutes.
Take out the cotton wool and remove pieces of softened sulfur or pus.
When adding hydrogen peroxide, you will hear a hiss and see bubbles appear. Thus, it interacts with sulfur and pus. Peroxide rinsing softens even old sulfur plugs.
If after this procedure it was not possible to remove all the pus or wax, continue rinsing with water… To do this, use a small rubber bulb or syringe without a 10-20 ml needle. Perform the procedure over a washbasin or prepare a wide container to collect liquid.
Draw warm water into a syringe or bulb.
Pour in liquid slowly. Do not point the tip of the bulb or syringe directly into the ear canal.
Flush your ear until all the pus or softened plug has come out.
Dry the passage with a piece of cotton wool.
Control the pressure of the water. Discharge it from the syringe in small portions without jerking. Make sure that there are no air bubbles in the syringe. Otherwise, unpleasant noise may develop in the ear.
You can rinse your ear not only with water, but also a weak infusion of chamomile… Carry out the procedure in the same way.
Flush your ear canal at home only after consulting your doctor. In general, the procedure is safe if you follow the rules for its implementation.
Expert Opinion
Pediatric Otorhinolaryngologist, Otorhinolaryngologist Chief Specialist, Doctor-Expert of the “Semeynaya” network of clinics
– If after a shower or a warm bath, congestion appears in the ear, most likely the problem is in the sulfur plug – it swells from heat and humidity, so the stunnedness increases. It is not recommended to remove the cork on your own, and even more so, you cannot use a strong stream of water or a cotton swab for this. If the congestion is felt constantly, while there is pain, it is necessary to contact the ENT. Perhaps this is otitis media, and if it is accompanied by itching, then it is fungal in nature.