How Often Should You Clean A Child's Ears? The Answer Might Surprise You

Today in fun debates happening on the internet, people are querying exactly how often parents should be cleaning their children’s ears. “How often do you clean your kid’s ears?” asked a curious dad on Reddit. “My parents used to do it quite often, like once a week. I won’t say how much I do it because I can’t keep up with them for some reason.” (Same.)The answers were illuminating – and varied.“Outer ear at bath time. In the ear canal never,” said one respondent. “If I notice wax at the opening to the ear canal or on the outer ear at any time, I’ll wipe it away.”Another chipped in: “I clean my daughter’s ears when I can see a lot of visible wax on the outside. I only clean the outside and just inside the entrance of the canal. Usually I notice it needs cleaning about every 2 weeks.”What does an expert say?To settle this debate once and for all (and because we’re genuinely curious), we asked Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy for her input.“Children’s ears are self-cleansing – they don’t need to be cleaned,” advised Dr Lee.“Ear wax is normal in both children and adults. It is produced by glands inside the ear and naturally works its way out of the ear canal to the outside world.”The expert explained that the body produces ear wax in order to trap dirt and debris and help protect the ear from infection. “Wax contains squalene – a natural oily substance that acts as a moisturiser and is often added to skin products,” she added.If you can see wax in the outer part of a child’s ear, you can wipe it away with a damp flannel or cotton wall ball, she noted.Are there any ear cleaning no-nos?“Don’t use soap” and “never poke anything, including a cotton bud, down your child’s ear”, noted the doctor.“This will just push the wax further into the ear canal, where it can become stuck and trapped, increasing the risk of infection.” It could even cause hearing loss.Poking things inside the ear can also increase the risk of a perforated ear drum, Dr Lee added, which can be a serious medical condition.The children’s audiology department at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust warns parents not to try and remove a build-up of ear wax with any unconventional methods, like candles or tools, as “these are extremely dangerous and might cause permanent damage”.When should I worry about my child’s ear wax?Ear wax can have a variety of appearances – “it can be yellow, orange, light brown, or dark brown,” said Dr Lee. “It may be dry and flaky or soft and runny. Older wax tends to be darker in colour.”The expert advises that if your child’s ear wax is green, dark red or black, you should seek advice from your GP or pharmacist.Similarly, if you’re concerned a build up of ear wax is causing your child hearing problems or earache, speak to your GP, who might offer some ear drops or – if that doesn’t work – ear irrigation.Related...So THAT'S Why Your Ears Look Bigger As You Get OlderDoctors Reveal The 5 Secrets To Soothing Kids’ Ears On A Plane'I'm A Teacher, Most Kids Can't Do Basic Things Anymore'

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