Ears are one of those forgotten body parts that quietly do their job. We don’t think much about them. Until they hurt or you can’t hear, that is.

In the 8th installment of our exploration of the human body, here’s an informative article about ears. It’s written just for kids, so be sure to share it with all the youngsters in your house!

"Your ears are delicate and important parts of your body. They need just a small amount of attention to stay healthy and work properly. It’s a good idea to have your ears and hearing checked periodically. If your ears hurt or if you’re having trouble hearing, talk to your parents right away and have them take you to see your family doctor.

Ears are easy to clean. A wet washcloth does a really good job on the outside. And if your ears are working properly, they clean the insides by themselves. That’s what the sticky yellowish wax in your ears is for. Earwax is sticky so it can trap dirt and dust before it gets too far into your ear canals.  As the wax builds up it moves to the ear opening, dries up, and falls out. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

If you want to clean the inside of your ears, use your index finger covered with a washcloth. Trying to clean your ear canals with a long pointed object, like a Q-tip, will just push the wax deeper into your ear canal, making things worse. Wax is formed only in the outer part of your ear canals, not in the deep part near the eardrum. So, it’s a bad idea to stick something deep into your ear canal to clean it.

So there you have it. Don’t forget to take care of those ears. Hear?"