Educational information, not medical advice. This article is written to help you understand common ear and hearing issues. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. If your symptoms are severe, sudden, or persistent, please consult a qualified doctor or audiologist. For urgent symptoms — sudden hearing loss, bleeding from the ear, severe pain with dizziness, or a head injury — seek medical care the same day.
Safe, evidence-based answers to the everyday ear questions we hear most in the clinic — from water trapped after a swim to deep night-time itching and cleaning a newborn's ears.
Quick answer
To remove water from an ear, tilt the head sideways, tug the earlobe and let gravity do the work; a hair dryer on the lowest setting held 30 cm away also helps. For an insect in the ear, fill the canal with warm olive or coconut oil to drown and float it out — never use tweezers. Clean a newborn's outer ear with a soft damp cloth only, and never insert cotton buds into anyone's ear canal.
Key takeaways
- Never insert cotton buds — they push wax deeper and injure the canal.
- Warm oil safely floats out most insects from the ear canal.
- Newborn ears self-clean; only wipe the outer ear.
- Persistent deep itching often means eczema or fungal otitis externa — get it examined.
- Skip vinegar/alcohol drops if you have grommets or a known perforation.
The ear canal is self-cleaning. The single best thing you can do for it is: nothing. Cotton buds, ear candles, hairpins and keys all push wax deeper and cause 90% of the ear problems we see. Here's what actually works for the everyday issues.
How to safely remove water from your ear
- Tilt your head sideways, ear down, and gently tug the earlobe
- Lie on your side on a warm towel for 10 minutes — gravity helps
- Use a hair dryer on the lowest heat and speed, held 30 cm away
- A drop of a 50:50 white vinegar + rubbing alcohol mix breaks surface tension (skip if you have grommets or a perforation)
If muffled hearing lasts more than 48 hours, get it checked — trapped water plus wax can cause swimmer's ear.
How to remove an insect from the ear at home
Do NOT try to fish it out with tweezers or a cotton bud — you will push it deeper and it may sting or bite the eardrum. Instead:
- Tilt the affected ear upwards
- Fill the canal with warm (not hot) olive oil, coconut oil or plain water
- This drowns the insect and floats it out within a few minutes
- If it doesn't come out, or you feel pain or bleeding, go to a clinic or A&E
Cleaning a newborn's ears
Only clean the outer, visible parts — never inside the canal. Use a soft, damp cotton cloth wrapped around your finger during bath time. Baby ears produce very little wax and clear themselves. Cotton buds are unsafe at any age, but especially so for babies.
Deep itching inside the ear (especially at night)
Common causes include eczema in the ear canal, fungal infection (otomycosis — more common in humid Indian cities), allergic reaction to earphones or shampoo, or over-cleaning that has stripped the protective wax layer.
What helps
- Stop putting anything into the canal for 2 weeks
- Apply a tiny drop of olive oil at bedtime to soothe dry skin
- Change earphone tips or switch to over-ear headphones for a week
- Antihistamine at night if allergies are suspected
- If itching, discharge or hearing loss lasts more than 10 days — see a doctor to rule out fungal infection
Pressure points for ear pain — do they actually work?
Gentle acupressure on the SI19 point (in front of the ear, at the tragus) and TW17 (behind the earlobe, in the hollow) can reduce muscular ear tension for a few minutes. It is a temporary comfort measure, not a treatment for infection.
Frequently asked questions
How do I safely remove water from my ear?
Tilt your head sideways with the affected ear down and gently tug the earlobe, lie on your side on a warm towel for 10 minutes, or use a hair dryer on its lowest heat and speed held 30 cm away. A drop of a 50:50 white vinegar and rubbing alcohol mix can break surface tension — but skip it if you have grommets or a known perforation.
How do I remove an insect from the ear at home?
Do not try to fish it out with tweezers or a cotton bud — you will push it deeper. Tilt the affected ear up and fill the canal with warm (not hot) olive oil, coconut oil or plain water; this drowns the insect and floats it out within a few minutes. If it doesn't come out, or there is pain or bleeding, go to a clinic.
How should I clean a newborn's ears?
Clean only the outer, visible parts of the ear with a soft, damp cloth during bath time. Never put cotton buds or anything else inside the canal — baby ears produce very little wax and clear themselves.
Why do my ears itch deep inside at night?
Common causes include eczema in the ear canal, fungal infection (otomycosis, very common in humid Indian cities), allergic reactions to earphones or shampoo, or over-cleaning that has stripped the protective wax layer. Stop putting anything into the canal for two weeks; if itching or discharge persists more than 10 days, get it examined.
Do pressure points on the ear actually relieve pain?
Gentle acupressure on the SI19 point in front of the ear and the TW17 hollow behind the earlobe can ease muscular tension for a few minutes. It is a comfort measure only — not a treatment for infection, and no substitute for medical care if pain persists.
Sources & further reading
We cross-checked this article against the following authoritative sources. Guidance and figures reflect the most recent public guidance available at the time of last review (July 2026). Clinical review by the Prudent Hearing clinical team.
- Earache — NHS UK
- Hearing Aids — National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD, NIH)
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