Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean ears?

Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant commonly used in medicine. When you have a wound on your body, you can use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect it first and then bandage the wound. The cleaning function of hydrogen peroxide is very powerful, and it has a very strong inhibitory effect on bacteria. Some people use hydrogen peroxide when they have a cut or itchy ear. So, can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean ears?

Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean ears?

Generally speaking, if there is too much earwax, it will be discharged naturally. However, sometimes the earwax is too large and the external auditory canal is blocked, which will cause ear pain, hearing loss, coughing and other discomforts. The ears may also feel swollen, which is more obvious when swimming. Then we can choose appropriate concentration of hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the ears.

Because hydrogen peroxide is a common oxidant, it is unstable and decomposes into oxygen and water when heated, so it has bactericidal ability.

When hydrogen peroxide comes into contact with wounds, pus or dirt on the skin, mouth and mucous membranes, it immediately decomposes to produce oxygen. This oxygen atom that has not yet combined into an oxygen molecule has a strong oxidizing ability. When it comes into contact with bacteria, it can destroy the bacterial cell and kill the bacteria. The remaining substance after killing the bacteria is water that is non-toxic and non-irritating. No secondary pollution will be caused. Therefore, hydrogen peroxide is an ideal disinfectant for wound disinfection. However, do not use highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide to disinfect wounds to prevent burns to the skin and affected area.

When disinfecting, we can first clean the earwax inside, and then add an appropriate amount of hydrogen peroxide for disinfection, so that the earwax inside the ear can be cleaned.

Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean ears? The correct cleaning method

The correct steps for washing ears with hydrogen peroxide

Step 1: Deal with the dirt

To clean an ear that has become festering, the first step is to use a clean cotton swab and keep it dry. Then slowly insert the cotton swab into the ear to absorb the thick water inside. Remember to be careful not to hurt your ears again.

Step 2: Drop hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal

After the ear canal is clean, drop hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal. Be sure to fill the entire ear canal. The purpose of doing this is to disinfect and soften some of the harder dirt in the ear canal to facilitate subsequent cleaning.

Step 3: Soak

Fill the ear canal with hydrogen peroxide and soak for 5-10 minutes. The time must be sufficient, because if it is not enough, the earwax will not be softened enough and subsequent cleaning will be more difficult.

Step 4: Soak up the hydrogen peroxide

After 10 minutes, absorb the hydrogen peroxide in the ear canal with a cotton swab or cotton. Remember to absorb the hydrogen peroxide in the ear canal, because even though it is hydrogen peroxide, it can cause ear canal inflammation if it is not absorbed.

Step 5: Apply anti-inflammatory medicine

After sucking the ear canal dry, apply some anti-inflammatory medicine. It can be an ointment or a potion. After that, just keep your ears clean.