Do You Clean The Back Of Your Ears? Here’s What Happens When You Don’t

Personal hygiene is one topic that can never be over emphasized.

After a long day of stressful physical activities, our bodies would have gathered a lot of dirt and sweat. If you go as far as rubbing the back of your ears and sniffing it, you’d notice a bad odor as well as accumulated dirt.

This indicates that the littlest things matter. Many of us only pay attention to the upfront part of bodies that are visible or noticeable, totally neglecting the tiny hidden parts like the belly button and back of the ears.

We need to understand that the constant accumulation of secretions and dirt behind our ears or anywhere else can lead to severe cases of infections, which is why daily hygiene is important.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BACK OF YOUR EARS ARE LEFT UNCLEANED?

• Infections

When you leave the back of your ears uncleaned, infections can set in overtime. Agents of infection like bacteria, yeast and fungi have an affinity for warm, moist places. You might wonder how bacteria and the rest get up there – factors like wearing glasses and scratching the back of your ears with dirty fingers take up a large part of the blame cake. Infectious discharge from piercings are also to blame.

• Bad smells

The sweat glands behind the ears secrete perspiration that start to smell when in contact with bacteria and oxygen. If we constantly neglect this part or fail to clean them thoroughly, then the smell can worsen over time, giving rise to something as serious as body odor. Sebaceous glands also secrete sebum, an oily mixture of wax and fats. This mixture has a very putrid smell and due to the overlaying structure of the ear, it is easy for these substances to hide and accumulate.

• Itching and pain

Following a case of infections, unpleasant symptoms naturally follow. Out of the many symptoms that could occur, we have itching and pain ranging from mild to severe. In severe cases, it is best you consult a doctor as soon as possible.

WHAT TO DO?

1. Clean them regularly: Take up the daily habit of cleaning the back of yours ears. Gently scrub them in circular motions using mild soap. After a bath, ensure you dry them out with a clean towel.
2. Disinfect: To avoid cases of infections, take time to disinfect behind your ears with alcohol-based spirits or hydrogen peroxide. Yon can disinfect twice or three times a week.
3. Cut down on pollutants: Cut back on heavy clothing that cover the ears and constant wearing of wigs. Regularly clean your hats, earmuffs, scarves, and pillow cases before use. Make sure to also cut back on harsh skin and hair products.
4. Sweat reduction: Sweating is an unavoidable part of our daily living however, we can reduce our sweat rates by applying some products behind our ears. The products include anti-perspirants and baby powder.