Is It Safe to Use Peroxide for Ear Wax Removal?用双氧水去除耳垢安全吗?

No need to get too deep in there.

没必要“挖”得过深。

Do you have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in your medicine cabinet right now？ The disinfectant is famous for fizzing up when poured on wounds， and so it fast became a first aid staple. （Though， it actually shouldn’t be poured on cuts and scrapes， per Cleveland Clinic.） In addition， peroxide for ear wax removal has also become A Thing.

你的药柜里现在有双氧水吗？这种消毒液因倒在伤口上会发出嘶嘶声而知名，因此迅速成为了急救的常备药品。（不过根据克利夫兰诊所的说法，实际上不应该把它倒在伤口上。）此外，用双氧水清除耳垢也开始风靡一时。

Earwax， also known as cerumen， is created by glands in the ear canal and it can help prevent infections to the ear， says Elias Michaelides， MD， of Rush University in Chicago， Illinois. “Earwax can also potentially protect the ear from being wet or help it dry quicker if it is wet. However， more research needs to be conducted to learn more about the true purpose of earwax，” he says.

伊利诺斯州芝加哥拉什大学的医学博士伊莱亚斯·迈克利兹介绍道，耳垢也被称为耵聍，是由耳道内的腺体分泌的，有助于预防耳朵感染。他说：“耳垢还可以保护耳朵免受潮湿，或者在耳朵受潮时让它更快干燥。但是，耳垢存在的真正意义还需要更多的研究。”

Should you remove earwax？

应该清除耳垢吗？

Before we get to the question of whether you should use peroxide to remove earwax， let’s back up to talk about whether you should be removing earwax at all. Dr. Michaelides says that the majority of people do not need to bother removing earwax. “The skin of the ear canal grows outwards，” he says—which serves as an ideal avenue for earwax to exit the ear canal. “We simply need to wipe the earwax away when we shower or wash.”

在讨论是否应该用双氧水去除耳垢之前，我们先谈谈是否应该去除耳垢。迈克利兹博士说，大多数人没有必要特意清除耳垢。他说：“耳道的皮肤向外生长（这是耳垢从耳道排出的理想途径），我们只需要在洗澡或洗漱时把耳垢擦掉就行了。”

If earwax is a non-issue for you， you do not need to take the time to try to remove it. However， some people notice that earwax builds up and gets caught in the ear. If there is enough of a build-up， earwax can even block the ear canal causing temporary hearing loss. This is because sound cannot make it past the earwax in order to reach the eardrum. If this happens to you， then it is best to remove the earwax.

如果耳垢对你来说不是问题，就不需要花时间去清理它。但是，有些人发现耳垢会积聚并卡在耳朵里。如果耳垢积聚过多，则会堵塞耳道，造成暂时性听力丧失——因为声音无法穿透耳垢传到鼓膜。如果出现这种情况，最好清理耳垢。

How do I safely remove earwax？

该如何安全地清除耳垢？

Okay， so you need to remove some earwax and want to do it safely， but how？ Dr. Michaelides recommends stopping by the drug store or local pharmacy and picking up over-the-counter earwax removal drops.

好吧，如果你需要清除一些耳垢，并且希望不发生危险，那该怎么做呢？迈克利兹博士建议去药店或医院药房购买非处方的除耳垢滴剂。

“These OTC options include hydrogen peroxide， but in a milder form，” he says. These kits also include a small syringe to use to flush out the ear drum. “If the earwax build-up is pretty dense and blocking the ear canal， this process can take up to several days for the peroxide to soften the earwax and eventually flush it out，” notes Dr. Michaelides. Cue： patience.

他说：“这些非处方药也含有过氧化氢，但配方更温和。”工具包里还有一个用来冲洗鼓膜的小注射器。迈克利兹博士提示道：“如果耳垢堆积得太厚，堵塞了耳道，那么用药可能需要几天，过氧化氢才能软化耳垢，最终将其冲洗出来。”注意：要耐心。

If you do not feel like running out to the store， you can use hydrogen peroxide to remove earwax if you feel comfortable. “It’s safe to use，” says Michaelides. “We use it in our office all of the time， so it is something you can use on occasion.” However， he warns that if used frequently， peroxide may cause irritation to the skin， so it is best to use it once a week on a routine basis or for several days in a row， but only if you have a blockage. （Signs and symptoms of a blockage include an earache， a full/plugged feeling in the ear， noises in the ear， and hearing loss， per the U.S. National Library of Medicine.）

如果你懒得去药店而且觉得能接受的话，也可以直接用双氧水去除耳垢。迈克利兹说：“双氧水用起来很安全，我们一直在医院用它，所以你偶尔用用是可以的。”但他警告道，如果经常使用，双氧水可能会对皮肤造成刺激，所以最好只有在耳朵堵塞的时候，才每周常规使用一次或连续使用几天。（根据美国国家医学图书馆的说法，耳塞的症状和体征包括耳痛、耳内有堵塞感、耳内噪音以及听力丧失。）

Never put any liquids in the ear canal， like peroxide， if you have a hole in the eardrum or have tubes in your ears. If you try an OTC earwax removal kit or peroxide and notice any pain， stop using it， as this may be a sign there is a hole in the eardrum. Call your doctor to schedule an appointment so they can safely assist you.

如果你的耳膜上有穿孔或者耳朵里有耳管，千万不要在耳道里滴入任何液体，比如双氧水。如果你在尝试使用非处方工具或双氧水的过程中出现疼痛状况，须停止使用，这可能是耳膜穿孔的迹象。打电话预约医生，这样他们就可以帮助你安全处理。

What if you do not have a major earwax blockage， but still want to clean your ears？ Dr. Michaelides recommends letting water run through the ears while you shower. This allows the earwax to soften and eventually come out on its own. “Water in the ear canal is not an issue. Just make sure to gently dry out your ears. You can even use a hairdryer on a low setting，” he says.

如果你没有严重的耳垢堵塞，但仍想清洁耳朵，那该怎么办呢？迈克利兹医生建议洗澡时冲洗耳道。这会让耳垢变软，最终自行排出。“耳道积水不是问题，只要以柔和的方式弄干耳朵就好，甚至可以使用吹风机低档模式吹干耳朵。”

Can I still use cotton swabs？

我还能用棉签吗？

Skip it， please. “When using a cotton swab， some earwax is pulled out， but other earwax may be pushed much deeper into the ear canal， which can cause more problems like blocking the eardrum，” says Dr. Michaelides.