Prevalence and Attitude of Self‑ear Cleaning Practices among Patients Attending Out-patient Department in Bardhaman, West Bengal: A CrossSectional Observational Study

Background: Self-ear cleaning is a common but unnecessary practice that can interfere with the ear’s natural self-cleansing mechanism. Cerumen plays a protective role within the external auditory canal, but many patients routinely insert foreign objects into the ear without properly understanding the risks. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and attitudes toward self-ear cleaning among patients attending an out-patient department in Bardhaman, West Bengal. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over eight weeks among patients attending the ENT OPD run by the researcher in Bardhaman, West Bengal. Convenience sampling was used. Critically ill patients, those requiring urgent hospitalisation, and those presenting with other ear problems were excluded. The calculated sample size was 62. Data were collected using a predesigned, pretested semi-structured proforma and analysed using SPSS. Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Fisher’s exact test or Chi-square test was applied, with p