Ear Drops vs Hydrogen Peroxide: Difference and Comparison

Ear Drops and Hydrogen Peroxide are nothing but materials needed to clean the Earwax.

Earwax is something that is a very natural phenomenon in the human body. Earwax can be useful at times as it naturally keeps the ear canal clean. However, too much Ear wax can lead to an Ear infection.  

Human beings need to remove this excessive Earwax and keep their ears clean. Ear drops and Ear drops with Hydrogen Peroxide can be used to do so. Although both Ear drops and Hydrogen Peroxide are used for the same purpose, they have some differences from each other. 

Key Takeaways

  1. Ear drops are medication used to treat ear infections, relieve pain and inflammation, or remove earwax. At the same time, hydrogen peroxide is a chemical solution used to clean and disinfect wounds, surfaces, and objects.
  2. Ear drops are specifically designed for use in the ears and have different active ingredients depending on the intended use. In contrast, hydrogen peroxide can be used for various purposes outside the ears.
  3. Ear drops should only be used as directed by a healthcare professional, while hydrogen peroxide can be used safely for minor wound care and household cleaning tasks.

Ear Drops vs Hydrogen Peroxide 

The difference between Ear Drops and Hydrogen Peroxide is that- Ear Drops are a type of product that is used to remove Earwax from our ears. On the other hand, Hydrogen Peroxide is a product that is added with Ear Drops to give better results in cleaning the Ear wax in our ears.  

Ear Drops vs Hydrogen Peroxide

Ear Drops are a type of medication that is used to remove excess earwax from the ear canal. At times, the excessive dirt in our ears or keeping the in-ears plugged into the ears for a long time can lead to wetness in-ear.

This wetness in the ears can cause bacteria and fungus in the ear canal. Ear drops are used to remove these bacteria and fungi. The doses of Ear drops are supposed to be taken to be prescribed by the respective doctor depending on a person’s ear condition.  

Adding Hydrogen peroxide to Ear drops is a way to eliminate excess earwax from the ear canal. Earwax is a waxy, wet substance that has to be removed using medications when it becomes excessive.

Hydrogen Peroxide contains an acid called cerumenolytic acid which can sand dissolve the Earwax in the ear canal. Excessive earwax can block or clog the ear canals leading to an ear infection.

Hydrogen Peroxide can stop this. However, too much Hydrogen Peroxide can be risky for the ears as well as the human body. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of  ComparisonEar Drops Hydrogen Peroxide 
 Type   Ear Drops is a medication used to remove earwax.  Hydrogen Peroxide is a substance that is added with Ear drops to eliminate excess earwax.  
  Uses   When the ear canal starts getting wet due to the earwax, Ear drops can be used to dry the ear canal and protect it from getting any infection.   When the earwax in our ear canal is present in quite an excessive amount, Ear drops that contain Hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean it. 
 Risks   The risk of using Ear Drops is lower compared to using Ear drops containing Hydrogen Peroxide.   The risk of using too much Hydrogen peroxide is more compared to plain Ear Drops. 
 Side-effects  Too much use of Ear drops can have some side effects like burning sensation in the ear canal, dizziness, breathing trouble, rashes, allergic reaction.   Excessive use of Hydrogen Peroxide will have some serious side effects like temporary deafness, dizziness, bitter taste, new pain in the ear, swelling.  
Effect on Earwax  Ear drops can dry the ear canal and stop the growth of bacteria and fungus which form the earwax.   Hydrogen Peroxide has an acid that can sand dissolve the earwax in the ear canal and, hence, protecting the ear from the hands of ear infection.  

What are Ear Drops? 

Ear Drops are a type of medication that is used to remove excess earwax from the ear canal. At times, the excessive dirt in our ears or keeping the in-ears plugged into the ears for a long time can lead to wetness in-ear.

This wetness in the ears can cause bacteria and fungus in the ear canal. Ear drops are used to remove these bacteria and fungi.  

The risk of using Ear Drops without Hydrogen Peroxide is lower compared to using Ear drops containing Hydrogen Peroxide. However, using too many Ear drops can have some side effects.

The side effects of overdose include- a burning sensation in the ear canal, dizziness, breathing problem, rashes, and allergic reaction.  

The doses of Ear drops are supposed to be taken to be prescribed by the respective doctor depending on a person’s ear condition. 

ear drops

What is Hydrogen Peroxide? 

Adding Hydrogen peroxide to Ear drops is a way to eliminate excess earwax from the ear canal. Earwax is a waxy, wet substance that has to be removed using medications when it becomes excessive.

Hydrogen Peroxide contains an acid called cerumenolytic acid which can sand dissolve the Earwax in the ear canal.  

Excessive earwax can block or clog the ear canals leading to an ear infection. Hydrogen Peroxide can stop this. The risk of using Ear drops containing Hydrogen peroxide is more than that of plain Ear drops.

Excessive use of Hydrogen peroxide can have some serious side effects like- temporary deafness, dizziness, bitter taste, new pain in the ear, and swelling. 

The doses of Ear drops containing Hydrogen peroxide supposed to be taken have to be prescribed by the respective doctor depending on a person’s ear condition. 

hydrogen

Main Differences Between Ear Drops and Hydrogen Peroxide 

  1. Ear Drops are a medication used to remove earwax, whereas Hydrogen Peroxide is a substance that is added to the Ear drops to eliminate excess earwax.  
  2. When the ear canal starts getting wet due to earwax, Ear drops can be used to dry the ear canal and protect it from getting any infection. On the other hand, When the earwax in our ear canal is present in quite an excessive amount, Ear drops that contain Hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean it.  
  3. The risk of using Ear Drops is lower compared to using Ear drops containing Hydrogen Peroxide, whereas the risk of using too much Hydrogen peroxide is more compared to plain Ear Drops.  
  4. Too much use of Ear drops can have some side effects like a burning sensation in the ear canal, dizziness, breathing trouble, rashes, and allergic reaction. On the other hand, Excessive use of Hydrogen Peroxide will have some serious side effects, like- temporary hearing loss, dizziness, bitter taste, new pain in the ear, and swelling.  
  5. Ear drops can dry the ear canal and stop the growth of bacteria and fungus which form the earwax. On the other hand, Hydrogen Peroxide has an acid that can sand dissolve the earwax in the ear canal and, hence, protect the ear from the hands of ear infection. 
Difference Between Ear Drops and Hydrogen
References
  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0165587694011057 
  2. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004326.pub2/abstract 

Last Updated : 01 August, 2023

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