Life is full of simple pleasures: that first sip of coffee in the morning, luring a cat on the street over for a stroke with a pspsps sound and… giving yourself an eargasm with a cotton bud. However, while that tingling sensation feels undeniably great, it comes at the expense of your health – and potentially your hearing. I learned this the hard way a couple of years ago when I found myself bedridden with a fever caused by an ear infection. How did I get this infection? You guessed it – by going all out with a cotton bud in my ear canal. And despite knowing the risks, I recently fell off the wagon again, cleaning my ears so vigorously that I made them bleed.

Why am I like this? Why does it feel so good? And why are the consequences so bad?

“The satisfying sensation associated with wiggling our fingers in the ear canal or cleaning it with cotton buds is due to the sensitivity of the ear,” explains Dr Rony Ganguly, an audiology doctor and founder and managing director of Pindrop Hearing.

“This stimulates numerous nerve endings within the ear canal, creating a pleasant tingling feeling. It also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones.”

A 2019 study even revealed how gentle stimulation of the ear canal can relieve symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease, improving their mobility, focus, memory, mood and sleep.

“The vagus nerve may explain why the satisfaction extends to other parts of the body when we stimulate the ears,” adds Abid Taluquedar, consultant audiologist at London Audiology. The vagus nerve is the body’s longest nerve, running from the brain to the abdomen (via the ears), and it regulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls our ‘rest and digest’ state. Unfortunately, the more we poke around in our ears to chase that pleasurable feeling, the more likely it is that they’ll get dry, inflamed and irritated, which starts the itch-scratch cycle.

A common rule of thumb touted by audiologists is not to insert anything smaller than the elbow inside the ear canal – but why?

“Putting fingers or cotton buds in the ears can push earwax deeper, causing symptoms like hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, or ear pain,” explains Dr Ganguly. “Despite the common use of cotton buds for ear cleaning, they can worsen the situation by causing harm to the ear canal or eardrum, possibly leading to infections or hearing difficulties.”

Taluquedar also warns of the risk of eardrum perforation, as well as losing part of the cotton bud in the ear canal – something he’s witnessed in his audiology clinic. 

We’ve established that cleaning our ears with cotton buds is a big no-no, so what are we supposed to do instead? Well… nothing. Research shows that many people think earwax is dirty and requires cleaning, but the opposite is true.

“Our ear canals typically don’t require regular cleaning, as they have a self-cleaning mechanism through earwax,” advises Dr Ganguly. “Earwax has several benefits linked to our ear health; it acts as a barrier, stopping dust and debris from reaching the eardrum. It also has a soothing effect, preventing the ear canal from becoming dry and itchy.

“In most cases, the ear naturally pushes out excess earwax towards the opening, where it dries up and falls away. However, some individuals may produce more earwax than others, potentially leading to a buildup.

“Signs of excessive earwax include earache, hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), dizziness or a sensation of fullness in the ear.”

If you’re experiencing any of the above, book an appointment with your GP or an audiologist – don’t try earwax removal at home. However, if you can’t resist a regular DIY clean, olive oil is your friend.

“The only at-home preventive measure I recommend is using olive oil ear drops or ear spray; this can help soften the wax and assist the self-cleaning process,” says Taluquedar. “It’s worth noting, however, that if wax has already accumulated, the drops may not clear the blockage and could increase the feeling of ear fullness. Nevertheless, this will prepare the wax for a smoother removal appointment with a professional.”

If you get your kicks from cleaning your ears (no judgment here!) you’ll be pleased to hear that you can get a similarly satisfying sensation from a professional clean. A 2021 study found that participants experienced decreased heart rate and blood pressure caused by vagal nerve stimulation during an ear wash.

“Many of my patients find ear cleans extremely satisfying and also anticipate the revelation of what’s been residing in their ears, followed by an instant sense of relief,” explains Taluquedar. (If you’re into ASMR and not squeamish, you might want to check out his Instagram account, which has loads of strangely hypnotic ear wax removal videos.)

So, put the cotton buds down and let your ears do their thing. If you think your ears need to be cleaned, do yourself a favour and leave it to the professionals.

Images: Getty