How to Clean the Right Baby Ear

How to Clean the Right Baby Ear: The accumulated earwax can make the baby feel uncomfortable. But before cleaning it, you need to know how to properly clean the baby's ears. Because, if done carelessly, it can hurt the baby's ears.

Earwax or cerumen is a normal thing that is formed and has several benefits for the ear of the little one. This earwax serves to protect the ears from exposure to dust, and keeps the ears dry and free from infection.

How to Clean the Right Baby Ear

But if the amount is excessive, earwax can accumulate, causing a disturbance in the hearing of the child or making his ears feel clogged and uncomfortable.

When to Clean Baby's Ears?

Earwax does have an important function in maintaining baby's ear health. However, it cannot be denied that earwax can also cause problems if it has accumulated too much and hardens in the ear canal.

Some problems that can arise due to accumulation of earwax are:

• Hearing impaired
• The ear smells
• There is a sensation of buzzing in the ears
• The ear hurts or itches

Father and Mother should suspect that the Little One experiences symptoms of earwax buildup if he often tugs at his ears, shakes his head, or becomes more fussy. If your child shows these signs, you should immediately take him to the doctor.

How to Clean Baby's Ears

To clean your baby's ears, avoid using cotton buds or your fingers. Using cotton buds or fingers to clean the ears can actually push dirt into the ear and potentially damage the baby's eardrum.

To clean your baby's ears safely and correctly, follow these two ways:

Use washcloths and warm water

Use a washcloth to clean your baby's ears every day. Cleaning your ears using a washcloth is a way that doctors often recommend because it is considered the safest. However, this method only applies to the outer ear.

To do this, first wet the washcloth with warm water. Then, squeeze the washcloth until enough water is wasted. After the washcloth is moistened, gently wipe the outside of the baby's ear with the washcloth.

Avoid using a washcloth that is too wet to clean your baby's ears because it can cause water to enter his ears.

Using drops

In addition to washcloths and warm water, cleaning your baby's ears can also be done with ear drops. However, the use of ear drops is not arbitrary. You need to consult with your doctor first to determine the type and dosage of drops according to your child's condition.

If the doctor does recommend or prescribe ear drops, here is how to use it to clean your baby's ears:

• Lay your baby aside, with the ear you want to clean face up.
• Drop the medicine 5 times (or as recommended by the doctor) into the baby's ear.
• Hold the baby's position for up to 5-10 minutes so that the drug actually enters the ear.
• After 10 minutes, turn the baby's position with the ear that has been given drops facing down.

If the above methods do not also succeed in making the Little One's ear clean, consult further with the ear, nose, throat (ENT) doctor. The doctor may prescribe other ear drops, or perform an ear cleaning procedure, for example with an earwax suction device.