Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Self-ear Cleaning in Makkah Region, Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background and aim: Cerumen or ear wax is a normal secretion from sebaceous and ceruminous glands found in the external auditory canal. Wrong self-ear cleaning attempts may lead to cerumen impaction, injuries, and otitis externa. we have concluded this study to assess the local community's knowledge about ear-cleaning, attitudes toward ear care, and self-ear cleaning practices. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey performed in May 2021 among general population to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-ear cleaning. We included all people aged between 18 to 90 years who live in Makkah region, also we excluded health care workers and who had previous ears, nose, and throat injuries. Results: A total of 544 participants responded to the survey, 351 (64.5%) were males and 193 (35.5%) were females, age between 18 to 55. Forty-four (8.1%) of participants thought that it is harmful to self-clean your ear. In contrast, 274 (50.4%) thought that we do not have to remove the wax from our ears constantly. About 32% of them clean to remove the dirt and 29.30% clean to improve their ear hygiene. Conclusion: Self-ear cleaning is a widespread practice, and most respondents showed a lack of knowledge regarding ear-cleansing mechanisms. In order to rectify the erroneous views, more public health education is needed to dissuade people from practicing self-ear cleaning and teach them about the function of cerumen and problems associated with self-ear cleaning.