Earwax serves as an important role in keeping your ears safe and healthy. It provides a waterproof lining in the ear to keep the canal dry and germ-free. While you need earwax in order to protect your ear, too much of it can have an effect on the overall health of your ears. If unattended to, earwax can become backed-up and clog the ear. Cleaning your child’s ears is just as important as cleaning your own, if not more so. But not every kid enjoys the process.
Keep reading to find out what you can do to keep them happy and their ears clean!
Where in the world does earwax come from?
Earwax is made in the outer third of the ear canal. The color of earwax can vary from person to person. Your health also determines what color and how firm your earwax is. In general, new earwax is yellow and soft whereas old earwax is darker and more firm.
Risks you face if you don’t clean a child’s ears
A child’s ear that goes left unclean can have high implications. Earwax that gets left behind or pushed further into the ear can cause your child to have discomfort, trouble sleeping, and in more severe cases, hearing impairments. Another issue that is common with clogged earwax is a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is where you hear a buzzing or ringing tone in your ears. Just another reason why you should clean your kids' ears on a regular basis.
How do you know if they have too much earwax
If a child begins to complain about discomfort or ear pain, you should clean out their ears. For the little ones who are still too young to verbally express discomfort, they will let you know by touching or tugging on their ears. Children may also have hearing problems. So if they don’t come running to the table when you announce their favorite dessert is up, you'll want to clean out their ears.
What you should NEVER do
It’s a common practice in many households to use a cotton swab to clean your ears. However, what most people don’t know is the dangers cotton swabs posses. Especially with children whose ears are still developing. Using a cotton swab can damage the ear canal or even puncture the eardrum itself. This puts your child at a higher risk of developing infections or permanent hearing loss.
Additionally, you should never do unusual treatments or ear candling. When dealing with heavy or excessive amounts of earwax, call your doctor for further treatment options.
What you can do about it
Keep ‘em clean! You should clean your child’s ear on a regular basis to reduce the risk of excess earwax build up. Rather than taking a chance with a q-tip or some random items around the house like bobby pins and pen caps, use the U-Tip! The extra soft UtilityTip tool used alongside with the spray is by far the best and safest way to go about cleaning your child’s ear. The cleaning solution disinfects, loosens, and propels wax to the U-Tip Safety Zone, while the extra soft U-Tips gently remove the visible wax from the outer ear.
With the Utility Tip cleaning system, you can be certain that your child’s ears will stay clean and healthy for many years to come.