Ear Wax - Which Ear Drops are the best?

Summary

In this informative video, ENT surgeon Vic Veer explores the wonders of earwax, its purpose, and how to manage it. He debunks common myths, like the use of cotton buds, and shares an experiment comparing different earwax removal methods, including olive oil, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, ear calm, and distilled water. The results highlight effective alternatives to safely and naturally dissolve earwax, emphasizing the importance of preserving the ear's natural defense mechanisms.

Takeaways

• 👂 Earwax is a natural substance made by glands in the ear canal and composed of dead skin, cholesterol, alcohols, and fatty acids.
• 🧬 There are two main genetic types of earwax: dry and flaky, common in Asian and Native American populations, and wet and darker, common in Europeans and Africans.
• 🔬 Earwax serves an important function, acting as an antibacterial and anti-fungal agent to protect the ear canal from infections.
• 🛠️ The ear's natural 'conveyor belt' mechanism moves earwax from the bottom of the ear canal to the outside, which can be disrupted by using cotton buds.
• 🚫 Using cotton buds can push earwax deeper into the ear and damage the skin, preventing the natural transport of earwax out of the ear.
• 💧 Ear drops can be an effective method for dissolving and softening earwax, allowing it to be naturally expelled from the ear.
• 👨‍⚕️ In some cases, professional ear cleaning methods such as micro-suction or ear syringing may be necessary to remove excessive earwax.
• 🧪 An experiment was conducted on different earwax remedies, including olive oil, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, ear calm, and distilled water.
• 🚫 Olive oil was found to be ineffective in dissolving earwax, and hydrogen peroxide also showed no significant effect in the experiment.
• 💡 Sodium bicarbonate and ear calm were found to be effective in dissolving earwax, but sodium bicarbonate might dry out the ear and ear calm is more expensive.
• 💧 Distilled water was surprisingly effective and inexpensive, but there are concerns about maintaining sterility over time and the risk of infection.

Q & A

What is the primary function of earwax?

Earwax serves as a protective substance in the ear canal, composed of dead skin, cholesterol, alcohols, and long-chain fatty acids. It has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties to fight off infections and helps to trap and remove debris from the ear due to its sticky nature.

How many types of earwax are there, and what are the differences?

There are two official types of earwax: the dry, flaky type commonly seen in Asian and Native American populations, and the wet, slightly darker type found in populations of European and African descent. However, in practice, there are more variations including the dry, crumbly, flaky type, the wet, fluffy, moist type, and the hard, fudge-like type.

Why do some people have a genetic predisposition to wet earwax and armpit odor?

The type of earwax one has is genetically determined, and those with wet, fudge-like earwax are more likely to have armpit odor due to a genetic difference. This doesn't necessarily have any significant health implications but is an interesting fact.

What is the natural process by which earwax is transported out of the ear canal?

The skin lining of the ear canal actively grows out of the ear, similar to a conveyor belt, moving at about 0.2 millimeters per day or 1.5 millimeters per week. This process helps to transport the earwax from the bottom of the ear canal to the outside.

Why should cotton buds be avoided when dealing with earwax?

Cotton buds can push earwax further into the ear canal and can damage the delicate skin layer responsible for transporting earwax out. This can disrupt the natural wax removal process and lead to impaction or buildup of earwax.

What are some common reasons for excessive earwax accumulation?

Excessive earwax can accumulate due to the use of cotton buds, narrow ear canals, aging which can cause the conchal bowl to slip forward and close up the ear hole, or post-operative changes such as a deep hole in the ear canal that prevents wax from moving out.

What are the various methods mentioned in the script for removing earwax?

The methods include stopping the use of cotton buds, using ear drops to dissolve and soften earwax, ear syringing with water, micro suction by a professional, and in extreme cases, surgery to open up the ear canal or fill in divots.

What was the purpose of the earwax experiment conducted by Vic Veer?

The experiment aimed to test the effectiveness of different earwax removal remedies, including olive oil, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, ear calm, and distilled water, on different types of earwax using a time-lapse camera.

Based on the experiment, which remedy did not work well for earwax removal?

Olive oil and hydrogen peroxide did not show any significant effect on earwax removal in the experiment, while sodium bicarbonate, ear calm, and distilled water were more effective.

What are the potential downsides of using sodium bicarbonate for earwax removal?

While sodium bicarbonate was effective in dissolving earwax, it is alkaline with a pH of around 8, which is higher than the natural pH of the ear canal. This could potentially increase the risk of ear infections and may cause the ear to feel dry.

What is the recommended approach to dealing with earwax based on the script?

Avoid using cotton buds, consider using distilled water, sodium bicarbonate, or ear calm for earwax removal, and consult a healthcare professional if earwax buildup becomes problematic.

Outlines

00:00

👂 Introduction to Earwax and Its Types

Dr. Vic Veer introduces himself as an ENT surgeon and discusses the topic of earwax. He explains that earwax, while not exciting, is essential for ear health. Earwax is a waxy substance produced by glands in the ear canal, composed of dead skin cells, cholesterol, alcohols, and fatty acids. There are two main types of earwax: dry and flaky, common in Asian and Native American populations, and wet and darker, found in European and African descent populations. Dr. Veer also mentions a genetic link between earwax type and armpit odor. He details the functions of earwax, such as preventing infections and trapping debris, and describes the natural transport mechanism of earwax out of the ear.

05:01

🚫 Avoiding Cotton Buds and Causes of Excessive Earwax

The paragraph emphasizes the harm of using cotton buds in the ears, as they can damage the delicate skin and disrupt the natural wax transport mechanism. It also explores reasons for excessive earwax accumulation, such as narrow ear canals due to infections or aging, and post-operative changes. Dr. Veer explains that cotton bud use can exacerbate wax buildup by pushing wax further into the ear, and that in severe cases, medical intervention may be necessary to address the issue.

10:02

🧪 Earwax Removal Methods and Experiment

This section outlines various methods for earwax removal, discouraging the use of cotton buds and ear pins. It suggests using ear drops to dissolve earwax, ear syringing with water, and micro suction by professionals. Dr. Veer also mentions surgical options for severe cases. He then describes an experiment he conducted to test common earwax remedies, using donated earwax samples from three patients with different types of earwax. The experiment included olive oil, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, ear calm, and distilled water, with the aim of finding an effective and affordable earwax removal solution.

15:03

📊 Results of Earwax Dissolving Experiment

Dr. Veer presents the results of his earwax dissolving experiment. He found that olive oil and hydrogen peroxide were ineffective in removing earwax. Sodium bicarbonate performed well but might cause dryness or increase the risk of infection. Ear calm was effective and helped prevent infections but was expensive. Distilled water was the cheapest and worked as well as sodium bicarbonate, though there were concerns about sterility over time and the potential for swimmer's ear. The conclusion advises against using cotton buds and olive oil, and suggests considering distilled water, sodium bicarbonate, or ear calm for earwax removal.

Keywords

💡Earwax

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a waxy substance produced by glands in the ear canal. It's composed of dead skin cells, cholesterol, alcohols, and long-chain fatty acids. In the video, earwax is the central topic, with discussions on its composition, purpose, and how to manage it. The script mentions different types of earwax, including dry flaky, wet moist, and fudge-like, and how they relate to genetic differences.

💡ENT Surgeon

An ENT Surgeon, short for Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgeon, is a medical professional specializing in conditions related to the ears, nose, and throat. The video's presenter, Vic Veer, identifies as an ENT Surgeon, which lends credibility to the information provided about earwax and its management.

💡Antibacterial

The term 'antibacterial' refers to substances that inhibit the growth of or destroy bacteria. In the context of the video, earwax is described as having antibacterial properties, which helps protect the ear from infections by creating an acidic environment with a pH of around 6.1.

💡Transport Mechanism

The transport mechanism mentioned in the video refers to the process by which earwax moves from the ear canal to the outside of the ear. This is facilitated by the growth and migration of skin cells in the ear canal, which carry the earwax along, similar to a conveyor belt.

💡Cotton Buds

Cotton buds are small, cotton-tipped sticks often used for personal hygiene. The script strongly advises against using cotton buds to clean ears, as they can push earwax further into the ear canal and damage the delicate skin, disrupting the natural transport mechanism of earwax.

💡Ear Drops

Ear drops are liquid solutions that can be used to soften or dissolve earwax, making it easier to remove. The video discusses various types of ear drops and their effectiveness, including olive oil, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, ear calm, and distilled water.

💡Microsuction

Microsuction is a technique used to remove earwax using a small, controlled vacuum device. The video mentions microsuction as a potential method for earwax removal, suggesting it can be a safe option when performed by a skilled professional.

💡Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is one of the substances tested in the video for its effectiveness in dissolving earwax. Despite concerns about its alkaline nature potentially increasing the risk of ear infections, the experiment showed it to be effective.

💡Ear Calm

Ear Calm is a commercial product mentioned in the video as an effective remedy for earwax and a preventative measure against infections. It contains acetic acid, similar to vinegar, and has a pH close to that of the ear canal, making it a safer option.

💡Distilled Water

Distilled water is water that has been purified through distillation, removing impurities and minerals. In the video, it is tested as a potential earwax removal solution and found to be effective and cost-efficient, despite concerns about sterility over time.

💡Experiment

The video describes an experiment conducted by the presenter to test various earwax removal methods. The experiment involved using different substances, such as olive oil and hydrogen peroxide, on donated earwax samples and observing the results over several days.

Highlights

Earwax is a waxy substance with antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, composed of dead skin, cholesterol, alcohols, and fatty acids.

There are two main types of earwax: dry flaky type common in Asian populations and wet, darker type in European and African descent.

A genetic difference causes some people to have wet 'fudge-like' earwax, which is linked to a higher likelihood of armpit odor.

Earwax serves to fight off infections and trap debris, which is then transported out of the ear by the skin's growth.

Cotton buds can damage the ear canal and disrupt the natural wax transport mechanism.

Narrow ear canals, possibly due to age or surgery, can lead to earwax accumulation.

Various methods to remove earwax include ear drops, syringing, micro suction, and in rare cases, surgery.

An experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of different earwax remedies using a time-lapse camera.

Olive oil and almond oil were found to be ineffective in dissolving earwax based on the experiment.

Hydrogen peroxide, commonly used in America, showed no significant effect on earwax in the conducted experiment.

Sodium bicarbonate was effective in dissolving earwax but may cause dryness and potentially increase the risk of infection.

Ear Calm, containing acetic acid, was effective in dissolving earwax and preventing infections but is more expensive.

Distilled water was found to be a cheap and effective alternative for dissolving earwax, similar to sodium bicarbonate.

The experiment showed that olive oil does not soften or dissolve earwax and is not recommended for earwax removal.

Sodium bicarbonate, despite its effectiveness, may not be ideal due to its alkaline nature which contrasts the ear's acidic pH.

Ear Calm's bubbles might aid in breaking up earwax, but its cost could be a limiting factor for some users.

Distilled water's affordability and effectiveness make it a promising option for earwax removal despite concerns about sterility.

The video concludes with recommendations against using cotton buds and for trying distilled water, sodium bicarbonate, or Ear Calm for earwax removal.

Transcripts

hi there i'm vic veer i'm a

ent or ears nose and throat surgeon and

i work at the royal national throat nose

near hospital

and i also work at queen's hospital in

romford in essex

so today i'm going to talk to you about

earwax now earwax may not sound very

exciting

but i want to tell you about what it is

what it does and then how to get rid of

it there are lots of ways of getting rid

of it

and i've done an experiment on different

types of ear drops that work on earwax

and i'd like to show you these results

with a time-lapse camera

so firstly what is earwax earwax

is a waxy substance that's made within

your ear canal by some modified sweat

glands

and earwax is composed of mostly dead

skin cholesterol alcohols and

long chain fatty acids so officially

there are two different types of earwax

there's the dry flaky one where you see

that in asian populations and

also in native americans and there's

also the

wet slightly darker version which you

see in populations from european and

african descent

in practice however most of our surgeons

know that there are a few more different

types

and broadly speaking there's the dry

crumbly flaky type of wax

then there's a sort of fluffy wet moist

type of ear wax which sort of is a bit

like a sponge or falls apart very easily

and then there's the fudge type of wax

which is quite hard you can roll up into

a ball if you really wanted to if you

felt

the need to so a little fun fact for you

because

there's two different types of earwax

it's a genetic difference

the people with a wet sort of fudge like

ear wax are more likely to have armpit

odor compared to the dry

sort of flaky type of earwax i don't

think it means anything

but it's interesting to know

so why do we have earwax well earwax

is created to fight off infections if

you imagine your ear

is a small narrow hole

inside your head it's also quite moist

in there quite warm

it's a perfect breeding ground for

infections bacteria fungi etc

so wax has a antibacterial anti-fungal

effect

on bugs within the ear canal

some of it is because of the fact of its

ph it's

slightly more acidic than the rest of

the skin

the ph is acidic at 6.1 on average

and that's similar i think to like

stomach acid when you eat things you

want to kill off the bugs

the stomach acid can kill off those bugs

and the same thing happens in the ear

the earwax itself does have other

antibacterial properties

it's all very mild but the idea is to

try and keep your ear clean

because it also is very sticky in most

people

and that stickiness if you lose

something in your ear or some dust or

some debris in your ear

it sticks to the ear wax and

by another mechanism altogether it drags

that

debris out of your ear so the way it

drags it out is that there's a transport

mechanism in your ear

the the skin lining of your ear canal

doesn't just stay still like normal skin

on your hand or on your arm or something

what it does is it actively grows out of

your ear

so if i made a little marker pen on the

inside of your

ear canal right at the bottom after a

few months if you looked in the ear

again that permanent marker

wouldn't be deep in the ear it'd come

out here somewhere so the cells are

always growing out of the ear

and that's the way it drags through the

wax as well

so what you do is you make a little bit

of wax at the bottom and then it gets

spread very thinly throughout the ear

canal

in fact a lot of people think they don't

have wax at all but if you look very

very carefully there is a very

thin layer of wax in your ear and

not being able to see wax is pretty much

a normal thing

having big globs of wax in your ear is

abnormal

so this conveyor belt of cells growing

out of your ears very very slow it's

like a travelator

and it goes at about 0.2 millimeters per

day or about one and a half millimeters

a week

so it takes about three or four months

for the wax from the bottom of your ear

canal

to come out to the outside some people

also think that

moving your jaw seems to ease the wax

out and i don't believe this is

completely true unless the wax is right

on the edge here

because if you put your finger in your

ear and try to open your mouth you do

feel

some movement of the ear canal but

actually

it's most the wax comes from deep inside

and it comes through in this conveyor

belt rather than

your jaw action so what are the reasons

for having

too much earwax well firstly i'd better

say from the start

cotton buds are the worst thing you can

do for your ears it's terrible because

most of the time all you're doing is

pushing the ear wax back into your ear

but more importantly some people use

cotton buds to scratch their ear canal

and all you're really doing is

scratching off that delicate

single layer of cells which are

transporting your wax out

and when you scratch that you damage

that con

and that conveyor belt and therefore it

stops working at that point

so the wax comes through in a thin thin

membrane

but hits this area where there is no

skin left anymore

and then starts building up in that area

because there's no way to transport that

wax out

with time however when the skin starts

growing back

it starts itching and you feel like

scratching it again so instead of

scratching again

just leave it because if you don't the

skin never gets to grow back

it's a bit like when we were children

our parents said to us stop

um picking the scabs on our elbows and

on our knees

it itches because the skin is growing

back and you want that

transport system that layer of cells to

grow back so that the wax can come out

unfortunately sometimes the mound of

wax that is accumulated in your ear

canal has got so big that the transport

system can't drag it out

and therefore it just builds up over and

over again and then people push it back

in again with the cotton bud

and the problem becomes so bad that

actually you need to have it dealt with

by a doctor or some ear drops or

something

some people get an accumulation of

earwax because their ear canals

are slightly narrow particularly on the

outside

and this could be because of lots of

infections that slowly stir nosed or

narrowed down the ear canal

so the wax can't actually get out and

get stuck

you'll see some pictures that i'm

drawing at the same time sorry if it's

quite boring

i'll try and speed up my drawing so you

don't have to watch the whole thing

another reason why your ear can now can

be narrow because as we get

older this part of your ear what we call

the conchal bowl

just here just behind the ear

ear hole that slips forward as you get

older

and as you get older and this slips

forward that closes up the ear hole

and therefore wax can't get out and

another reason why

you can have accumulation of earwax is

sometimes after an operation or if

there's a deep hole

inside your ear normally the ear canal

is just a narrow

tube but sometimes you can get this big

divot or or crater within the ear canal

and the wax can't get round the edge of

that hole

and sometimes you need to have an

operation called an obliteration

and what that does is rather than

sounding rather fancy

and dangerous all you're doing is

filling in that hole

so the earwax can grow in a straight

line and so the operations for dealing

with earwax

are related to making the ear hole look

or the ear canal looking as normal as

possible

so the wax can make its way out without

getting stuck at any

any points so how does one get rid of

earwax

now there are lots of things you can do

the first thing you can do is just

stop using cotton buds or ear pins or

whatever you use

hairpins to pull out earwax it just

doesn't work and all you're doing is

damaging the ear canal and

damaging that transport system that

pulls the wax out

you can use ear drops and that's quite

useful for

dissolving and softening the earwax so

it just falls out naturally

then the next thing you can do is see

someone who will syringe your ear

and all that is is using water to flush

out the ear wax from inside you

so it comes out with the sort of flow of

pressure of the water

now an awful lot of doctors in the uk

the family doctors particularly

aren't doing syringing anymore although

it used to be done for many many years

and that's because people are worried

that blasting water in the ear may

damage the eardrum it's quite rare but

can happen

now another way for removing wax is to

use

micro suction micro suction is a tiny

little

vacuum cleaner hoover that goes into

your ear

and hooves up or cleans up the um the

wax

now i'm not going to do a video about

that it's quite

it's an involved thing but i'll try and

make another one in the future

but it's probably in a good pair of

hands it's probably the safest way to

get rid of earwax

and lastly in very extreme cases people

sometimes need surgery

that's either to open up a narrowing in

the ear canal to let the wax come out

naturally

or to fill in any of those divots i was

telling you about earlier

so often the big question i have from

patients is which

ear drop should i be using now

rather than me just telling you what i

think i thought i'd do an experiment

what i did was i found three different

patients

and they kindly donated their earwax to

me

i made sure there are three different

types of earwax one was the flaky

crumbly type

one was the wet moist type and one was

the fudge sort of

roll up into a ball type and they kindly

donated their earwax and i put them into

about five

test tubes so i want to say thank you

very much to those patients you

all three of you know who you are and um

you can see it's been used for a good

cause

it's an experiment and it's research

study and what i did was i looked

through the internet and looked at the

the most common remedies for earwax now

the first one i found was

olive oil lots of people seem to use

olive oil some people also said almond

oil but i tried that separately and i

found that almond oil and olive oil were

exactly the same

so i just used olive oil because

everyone seems to use olive oil

it's quite cheap to come by now i also

got some

hydrogen peroxide which is commonly

prescribed in america

not so much in this country and i can

sometimes worry about the

the amount of free radicals that are

produced from hydrogen peroxide it may

damage the hearing or balance apparatus

in the ear

but um it must be safe because hundreds

and millions of people must have used

hydro peroxide for earwax

so i don't use it i tend to use

something called sodium bicarbonate

which i think works very well so i've

tried that in my third bottle and i'll

show you these soon as well

now the only problem with sodium

bicarbonate i think

is that it is alkali so the opposite of

acid

and so what i'm slightly worried about

is that it may be

may give you an increased risk of

getting an ear infection

because without the acid in your ear you

may get something called swimmer's ear

and swimmers tend to swim all the wax

comes out there they tend to get

infections because all the acid is

neutralized

and sodium bicarbonate has a ph of

around about eight

uh where you want the ear canal to have

a ph of around about

six so i slightly worried about that but

i put it down as one of my

options in my test tube test tube number

three now

test tube number four is ear calm now

ear calm is a remedy for people

who have got an ear infection

but don't really need to have

antibiotics i often use ear calm to get

rid

of very mild infections and that's some

of the guidelines we have in this

country from the ent

uk guidelines about very mild infections

called otitis externa and you can use

ear calm which is just basically an acid

it's very similar to vinegar acetic acid

and it has a ph of roughly about six as

well and i thought well why not try it

so i've tried in my fourth bottle ear

calm

sorry the other good thing about ear

calm

is that you can use it to prevent you

from getting an infection

so for example the swimmers i know an

awful lot of olympic swimmers

who after they've gone for a swim they

spray their ears

with ear calm so that you replace the

acid in your ears

that way you can avoid getting infection

because you've washed out all the acid

now most of these remedies

are approximately between four to ten

pounds each

so what i really wanted to do apart from

the olive oil obviously but what i want

to do

is come up with a very cheap alternative

so what i did was i found some steam

distilled water

and i wanted to use that as well again

the ph of distilled water

as long as it's steamed distilled water

is about 6.0

so very close to ear wax levels so i

want to use that as well it's very very

cheap you can get a bottle of about this

big

for about a liter and a half

for about five to six pounds now you'll

soon see that

watching wax dissolve on the the video

behind me

is um incredibly boring i never you

realize how boring watching

uh wax dissolve could be so what i did

was

i tried to use a time lapse on my

on this camera that i'm using right now

and the idea is i take a picture every

five

seconds or then every five minutes

trouble is

it was going so slowly that my battery

would just run out and so

it's a little bit uh higgledy-piggledy

the um

the i'm taking the photos from time to

time

uh and you'll notice if you look at the

video that actually most of the

action occurs in the first 24 hours

so the first few first few time lapse

camera

movies it goes quite quickly at the

start but then

becomes very boring i carried on

checking the

wax for about five to six days

so remember there is ten mils in each of

these

uh test tubes each with a different

remedy starting off with olive oil

hydrogen peroxide sodium bicarbonate ear

calm and distilled water

and you can see that every so often i

shook the test tubes around just to give

it a little nudge to see if i can get

any movement out of it

and i shut them all the same amount and

you can see that

there's a big difference between the

different remedies i've got there for

you

now firstly the olive oil as you can see

even after

five days nothing happened made no

difference whatsoever

and you can see this and also in the

research studies if you look to the

research studies about earwax

olive oil seems to do absolutely nothing

to earwax

they say it softens it you know i've

seen people

go away try olive oil come back and me

try and clean it is it's exactly the

same as it was before

so personally i wouldn't recommend olive

oil ever it does

nothing i was somewhat surprised by

hydrogen peroxide i thought that would

do something

but it seems not to have done anything

at all it uh

perhaps i had a slightly different

hydrogen peroxide than what the

american physicians would use but again

i saw very little change in the hydrogen

peroxide

it did seem to rise and it seems like

those two layers

to this formulation there was like a

watery layer and an oil layer

at the top but again nothing really

moves and i couldn't really shake it

either

so i can't recommend this formulation of

hydrogen peroxide either so sodium

bicarbonate thankfully

was much better you can see that it's

slowly breaking up the wax

um and in the end of five days it's

almost completely

um dissolved most of the wax still the

fudge type of wax you can see there's a

little spot there

was the most resistant of all of them

and that makes sense because it's it's

the most dense

version of earwax but the

um the flaky type of earwax disappeared

very quickly

and actually so did the wet fluffy type

of earwax

so the only problem with sodium

bicarbonate which i've hear from people

is that it becomes very drying in the

air people don't particularly like using

sodium bicarbonate in the ear

and so that's a thing against using

sodium bicarbonate even though it works

very well

for dissolving earwax now if you look at

the

ear calm version which is the fourth

test tube along you can see that it

becomes

it starts off very very cloudy like a

colloid in there

and shaking it around you can barely see

through it

but i saw if i looked it very carefully

that

apart from the fudge type of earwax it

seemed to dissolve the wax very quickly

so it's quite useful it helps prevent

infections

whilst also dissolving earwax i think

it's great it is quite expensive though

i think it cost approximately 20 pounds

for 10 mils

so it's a lot more expensive than sodium

bicarbonate which is roughly about four

pounds

um and then i go on to distilled water

you can see distilled water the number

five

test tube again work very well similar

to i think

as sodium bicarbonate near calm and it's

a lot cheaper

swishing it around it seemed to do

great things and flush out or dissolve

the earwax very well

slightly worrying i thought to myself

later that although it's sterile when

you first

open it trying to go through a whole

bottle of this stuff with time

it's unlikely to be sterile for very

long so although it's cheaper you

probably

unless you're using a whole bottle uh

it's

probably not the best idea and also this

is swimmer's ear officially

there is a chance of you getting an

infection

now like i said ear calm is a ph of

about six

so is um distilled water so i suspect

that it should be safe but there is no

trial of anyone putting

distilled water in their ear but the

research

studies that show that distilled water

works very well so in summary

the olive oil i think did absolutely

nothing and i would not

bother with it at all the hydrogen

peroxide

rather strangely did nothing either

so i can't recommend that based on this

experiment

the sodium bicarbonate worked

brilliantly however there is that chance

of causing infection

and it can also dry your ear um ear calm

i thought worked very well they had

those little bubbles in there as well

uh had those little bubbles in there as

well that seemed to help

um maybe to breaking up the ear wax

but it's quite expensive distilled water

is by far the cheapest

um and seem to work just as well as

sodium bicarbonate

i've never had any problems of people

saying to me oh the

ear can made my ear feel very dry so it

may be that

flushing out all the wax and the acid

seems to make your ear feel

dry it doesn't like a an alkaline

environment likes an acid environment

at least that's what i'm hoping so the

take home messages are

don't use cotton buds because you're

destroying the the transport system in

your ear

try and avoid olive oil i don't think it

works at all

use perhaps distilled water sodium

bicarbonate or ear calm to dissolve your

wax

because the others seem not to do

anything um

thank you very much for watching this

video i hope you found it useful

if you could please like this video and

subscribe to my channel that'll really

help me

um thanks again