Our sense organs are vital so that we can function optimally in our day-to-day lives. Ears are one of the sense organs that help us hear and manage our body balance.
It is necessary to take proper care of the ear health. Once the hearing is damaged, it is irreversible. For individuals who have partial hearing loss, solutions such as hearing aids are available. However, natural hearing, once it has gone, can never be completely restored.
How To Choose The Best Ear Drops?
Not all ear drops are the same, and there are different types available. They are used depending on the condition of treatment. Mentioned below are different types of ear drops for various purposes.
- Acetic acid and alcohol-based ear drop for treating swimmer’s ears. Ear drops with these ingredients help quick-drying any excess water and prevent fungal and bacterial growth, which cause swimmer’s ear.
- Antibiotic ear drops for treating bacterial infections. They quickly eliminate bacteria and stop the infection from spreading to the ear canal. There is a mild variant available for children.
- Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol-based ear drops or earwax softeners for ear wax removal. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with the oxidizable elements in the earwax. The heat produced through this oxidation softens and disintegrates the earwax. Likewise, the alcohol content helps dissolve and remove earwax.
- Garlic ear drops for relief from ear pain. Garlic is known to boost the immune system and fend off bacteria. Garlic also has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory qualities and is used as an ingredient in many natural ear drops.
Can I Make Lifestyle Changes to Improve Ear Health?
The good news is, you can make some minor changes to your day-to-day life to improve your ear health and also get benefits for your overall physical and mental health in the process.
Ears are designed to facilitate self-cleaning with movements of the jaw while chewing or talking. The skin of the outer ear generally has an oily lining. These are oils secreted by the body.
The body also generates earwax to protect the ear canal from penetration of foreign objects, including dirt, pollution, and water. Therefore, not all earwax is bad.
However, if you have an excess build-up of earwax, you might want to consult a medical specialist.
Note: Avoid using ear drops without checking with an ENT specialist under the following circumstances:
- If you have a perforated/ruptured eardrum.
- If you are on medication.
- If you have diabetes.
- If you are pregnant or you are a nursing mother.
Mentioned below are the top five ways to prevent damage to the ears and avoid hearing loss:
- Avoid listening to music at a very high volume through earphones. Also, limit the duration of earphone usage to not more than sixty minutes per day.
- When expecting exposure to deafening noises, be sure to use earplugs. For example, if you are at a bar or a club, step out in a quieter / less noisy place for two to three minutes every half hour. This will give your ears time to recover.
- Refrain from inserting sharp or small objects in your ears when your ears feel itchy. There’s a chance these objects may bruise the ear or get lodged inside.
- Maintain good personal hygiene and personal care and keep ears dry and clean to avoid contracting ear infections.
- If you are prone to excess earwax buildup or have an infection in the ear which has not healed within 5-7 days, seek medical help. Regular medical check-ups are highly recommended to maintain ears in good condition. Your partner could also check your ears with a professional otoscope at home.
List of the Best Ear Drops
Wally’s Organic Ear Oil is made by combining six powerful and all-natural herbs, which soothe your ears and help maintain good ear health.
The ingredients include sweet almonds, eucalyptus, tea tree, Echinacea and garlic oils. The combination of these natural ingredients helps relieve pain and discomfort and calm sensitive ears.
This product does not contain any alcohol, so it won’t sting your ears when you use it. All of the ingredients used are USDA organic and dermatologist tested.
Wally’s Organic Ear Oil is affordable and safe and has many positive reviews from customers. All of these reasons make it one of the best products to use if you want to improve the health of your ears.
When earwax is not cleaned regularly, it can lead to a build-up which can cause an infection in the ears. In certain cases, an excess build-up of earwax can cause the ear canal to get blocked, leading to hearing loss.
ProRinse Earwax Removal System is an effective product that safely and gently helps to remove earwax in both ears. Inside the cleaning kit, you’ll find ear drops, earplugs, an ear washing syringe and a rinse tub.
The ProRinse Ear Wax Removal System is easy to use. First, you need to place five to ten drops into the ear. They are quick acting and create foam upon contact, thus softening and disintegrating impacted or hardened earwax.
Secondly, you’ll need to insert the AquaBlock Ear Plugs after applying the ear drops. Using these earplugs minimizes waiting time for the second ear’s cleansing.
Finally, fill the ear syringe with water and pump it into the ear. ProRinse ear syringe has a unique tip that allows a tri-stream rinse. Make sure you place the ProRinse tub below your ear so that it catches the water and earwax during the rinsing process.
Best for Wax: Earwax MD Earwax Removal Drops
Earwax is naturally pushed out of the ear through movements of the jaws, and it falls out from the ear opening. Unfortunately, those of us who use earphones, earplugs or hearing aids regularly and for a prolonged duration usually lose out on the opportunity of earwax falling out of our ears naturally.
On the contrary, due to the usage of these devices, the earwax is pushed further inside the ear and gets hardened over a period of time.
Earwax Removal Drops from Earwax MD are proven to be very effective and extremely safe for removing excess earwax.
The gentle formula of these drops is nonirritating and non-sensitizing, as per dermatologists. They can disintegrate earwax within a few minutes of application.
Depending on the severity of the earwax build-up, it takes about 15-30 minutes for these ear drops to dissolve the earwax. As a result, these eardrops have outperformed most of the competing products available in the market in this category.
Garlic is known to boost the immune system and fend off bacteria. Garlic also has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory qualities. Herb Lore’s Garlic Ear Oil Drops 2 fl oz are made with two all-natural organic ingredients: garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
Since this product is prepared with natural ingredients, it is safe to use for children and adults. Also, there is no fear of an overdose, as the organic ingredients of Herb Lore’s garlic ear oil drops have no known side effects.
Olive oil helps reduce excess earwax build-up. In addition, the anti-viral, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties of garlic ear oil drops from Herb Lore help prevent the infection from progressing to a stage that can be cured with antibiotic medicines.
These ear oil drops come in a bottle with a dropper, which makes it easy to apply the drops directly.
Usually, hardened earwax blocks the ear canal and causes earache. In addition to this, users of earphones who listen to music at a loud volume or those exposed to loud noises without earplugs are likely to experience a noise-induced earache.
Placing a warm compress or a washcloth soaked in warm water over the ear that hurts can help alleviate the pain. Using Mullein Garlic Herbal Oil from Herb Pharm is one of the easiest ways to relieve yourself of earache.
They are made with natural ingredients. All the ingredients in this blend are known to have medicinal properties. The herbs in this blend include Calendula, Garlic, Mullein flower, St. John’s Wort, Olive Oil.
These ear drops are non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free, making them safe to use by adults and children ages one year and above.
When you experience a consistent ringing sound in the ears all the time, it is known as tinnitus. By itself, tinnitus is not a condition. It is, however, an indication of a possibly serious condition such as injury inside the ear or a disorder in the circulatory system or loss of hearing due to age.
It has been found that there are two leading causes of tinnitus. One is when there is hardened or impacted wax in the ear. The other is a high level of stress and anxiety.
Though it is not possible to get rid of the ringing sound in the ears, few steps can be taken to reduce discomfort.
NaturalCare Ring Stop ear drops are prepared with natural ingredients. The formula of these ear drops is very gentle. Though gentle, the ear drops are very effective and provide relief from constant whistling and ringing sounds.
These eardrops also help with sensitivity to sound. Being packaged in a dropper bottle makes way for easy self-administration.
Swimmer’s ear is an infection that affects (otitis externa) the outer canal of the ear. The outer canal runs from the eardrum to the outside of the head.
It is usually caused by the water that remains lodged inside the ear after a swim. This creates a moist environment that is conducive for bacteria to breed.
The symptoms of a swimmer’s ear are generally mild in the beginning. However, if left untreated, the infection can spread and get worse; that’s why you need the proper treatments.
Earache due to an ear infection such as a swimmer s ear can cause one to get extremely irritable. To relieve this pain, Hyland’s Earache Drops can greatly help both kids and adults.
The formula of this product is gentle but extremely effective in drying the excess moisture content in the ears and preventing bacterial and fungal growth from multiplying.
There is no worry of an overdose with Hyland’s Earache Drops, as these ear drops are homeopathic and don’t cause any side effects. They are also safe and non-habit-forming.
On various occasions, we tend to experience an itchy sensation in the outer canal of the ear. Anything that causes inflammation of the sensitive skin inside the ears can lead to itchy ears.
Regardless of what has caused the itchy feeling, it is advisable not to insert tiny and sharp objects inside the ear to relieve yourself.
The skin inflammation that causes the itch can be soothed with Sweet Oil ear drops. These ear drops help restore the natural moisture of the skin.
In case the skin inside the ear is bruised due to itching, these ear drops help fasten the skin’s repair process. Sweet Oil ear drops also help fight against fungal and bacterial infections, thus speeding up the recovery of itchy ears.
Also Check: Debrox Eardrops Review
Will the ear drops have an adverse reaction if I am already taking medication?
Usually, eardrops don’t interfere with other medicines that you might be taking. However, if you are unsure, it is advisable to run it by your doctor. Some ear drops are not used if you are a diabetic, pregnant or a nursing mother.
You must carefully read these warnings before administration. If you have a perforated/punctured eardrum, it is best not to use ear drops unless asked by an ENT specialist.
It is best to use ear drops at room temperature. However, some eardrops need to be stored at cooler temperatures once the seal is broken. In such cases, you can keep the ear drops bottle in your pocket for a few minutes till it reaches room temperature. Needless to say, it is a great idea to check the expiry date before purchase.
Conclusion
Different ear drops are a blend of various ingredients and must be used for treating specific symptoms. It is good to use ear drops made with natural ingredients to keep ears clean so that they don’t contract infections.
Our top recommendation for safe and effective ear drops is Wally’s Organic Ear Oil, which is made by combining six powerful and all-natural herbs, which soothe your ears and help maintain good ear health.
Whether you are suffering from excess earwax build-up, an ear infection or swimmer’s ears, make sure you check our full list of products on this article, so you can find one that’s suitable for your condition. You can also find devices to unclog your ears.
You may also want to visit a medical professional who can examine and consult you on the right treatment options.