Addicted to Ear Picking :/

[Gosia]

I've looked through the forum and haven't found any similar topic. Before T I used to pick my ears a lot. I never had real earwax, just some transparent patches of skin and only sometimes. Yet, it was just pleasant to scratch the inside of my ear and it seems it's normal, it's pleasant to everybody cause there are nerves linked to the whole body (?) I never used cotton swabs though , rather a clean toothpick. Since T occurred of course I have mostly stopped it, but still, from time to time I just can't help it ( that's when addiction appears ) and I just have to scratch inside, at least for a second and then I beat myself up for this cause I don't know if it can cause any hearing damage ? I know about the potential damage to the eardrum - not my case. I'm very careful and I don't push it far, but I just wonder if such a 'noise' can be harmful ? Last time I beated myself up last Sunday. 5 days later I did it again . Am I alone here with that ? I thought that maybe if I share it, It will be easier to control myself next time I feel like doing that.

 

[glynis]

Hi Gosia,
I don't think it will cause damage if not going in deep .
I tend to do it when I have taken my hearing aids out just to wipe my ear channel out.
When I have been in contact with a allergy then they itch and drive me nuts ......lots of love glynis

 

[UKJon]

I've been doing that a lot lately and also putting a little olive oil in each ear. I saw my doctor today and she looked in each ear and there was no infection. It is hard to ignore the itch though. I think it must be hairs in my ears which cause it. It's really not a good idea to put anything into your ears as the wax is supposed to be what prevents most harmful things from infecting the inside and it renews itself all the time.

It could be that your ears are just a bit dry or perhaps it's soap or shampoo irritating them. It does feel good to relieve the itch though.

I'm guilty of putting things in my ears to scratch them but it's dangerous. Suppose somebody nudged you or you somehow went in too deep accidentally.

 

[Bertman]

I do it too, sure it makes a noise but I highly doubt its anything to beat yourself up over.

 

[Telis]

Funny, we are so worried about sticking things in our ears yet most here don't hesitate to jam ear plugs deep into their ear canals on a regular basis.

 

[Gosia]

Funny, we are so worried about sticking things in our ears yet most here don't hesitate to jam ear plugs deep into their ear canals on a regular basis.

I hesitate a lot and almost never use them. I prefer to sit on a train with my fingers covering ears from the outside rather than put ear plugs in. Anyway, as I said I'm worried only about the sound. Ear plugs inside don't make any sound. However, the sound of taking them out worries me to, so I do it very slowly and gently and it's possible to make it with hardly any sound. So the two things have very little in common.
@UKJon, I know the theory..Internet is full of this 'advice'. Obviously, I never do it when there's a slightest risk sb could hit me. ENTs will tell you not to put anything in your ear yet the y see nothing wrong in suctioning it or spraying high pressure water in your ear. The reason why it's not advisable in the West to put things in your ear is for the risk of pushing earwax to far or poking your eardrum, and that is not my concern. The noise is. And no ENT ever mentions that. Mind you also, the Eastern culture has a totally adverse approach to that and manual ear cleaning is a very common and appreciated ritual that has been there since ancient times ( I started a thread about it on Sunday.) ,so you know..only because a doctor says sth doesn't mean he's got the monopol for the truth. Some people produce so much cerumen that not cleaning it out regularly will clog them very fast. So I'm wondering if it's really harmful providing you don't poke anything, you use hygenic tools, you don't push earwax cause there's nothing to push.

 

[uae96]

Funny, we are so worried about sticking things in our ears yet most here don't hesitate to jam ear plugs deep into their ear canals on a regular basis.

After using my ear plugs a lot my left ear feels blocked now , do u have any idea why?

 

[Telis]

I hesitate a lot and almost never use them. I prefer to sit on a train with my fingers covering ears from the outside rather than put ear plugs in. Anyway, as I said I'm worried only about the sound. Ear plugs inside don't make any sound. However, the sound of taking them out worries me to, so I do it very slowly and gently and it's possible to make it with hardly any sound. So the two things have very little in common.

Oh I see, I didn't know it was so loud, didn't think it would be louder than inserting ear plugs. Is it a electric tooth pick or what? Lol