Doctors have observed patients cleaning their ears with objects other than cotton swabs, such as hairpins, tweezers, pens, and even straws. But none of these instruments work, and cotton swabs in particular can be more harmful than helpful. They may give you the impression that you are clean and satisfied, but this is a delusion. Stay put and you will witness the harm they can do to your hearing.
You can learn more about the various ways cotton swabs can hurt your inner ear at Onplusnews, as well as how to replace them in your everyday routine.
They can cause injury.
Although it may seem impossible, cotton swabs have the power to burst your eardrum and traumatize your middle ear. A research that examined ear injuries caused by cotton swabs discovered that 73% of them were related to cleaning the ears. If you consider that the study covered a population of more than 263,000 children and was conducted from 1990 to 2010, this is a significant percentage.
They can push the earwax deeper into the ear.
Especially whenever there is a buildup, many people feel the impulse to remove their ear wax. However, they are only advancing it more into the ear canal, which results in the wax remaining stationary rather than migrating. The only option in this situation is to see a doctor who can remove the earwax professionally, but this can occasionally be uncomfortable.
They can cause infections.
The ability of earwax to catch and restrain the growth of microorganisms that enter our ears is one of its most advantageous traits. It functions as a safety net to prevent bacteria from inflicting significant harm. However, when we use cotton swabs, we encourage the bacteria to hurt us by pushing both the earwax and the bacteria deeper within. It is highly likely that we will have ear infections in this situation.
Why we need earwax
Earwax not only keeps germs out of our ears and eliminates them, as we said before, but it also keeps other things out of our ears including bugs and dirt. Additionally, it is the best natural lubricant for keeping our ears from being dry and itchy. Additionally, it is set to unplug from the ear if we engage in physical activity. A quick shower will easily remove it because it actually forces itself into the outer ear canal.
What to do if cotton swabs cause you pain
You can try using over-the-counter medicines and see how it goes if the pain is initially not too bad and you believe that it is manageable. Call a doctor, nevertheless, if the discomfort persists and is subsequently accompanied by ringing in the ears or distorted hearing. There’s a chance that the ear injury is more severe and requires medical treatment and guidance.
How to clean your ears safely
The most efficient and secure techniques to utilize at home are these 2:
- Use ear drops. You can carefully inject glycerin, mineral oil, or baby oil into your ear. They’ll all succeed in making the ear wax softer. You can insert some warm water into your ear with a syringe two days later, tipping your head to allow the water to drain. After that, you should clean the outside of your ear with a fresh towel.
- Use a fresh tissue to assist remove any remaining ear wax since it is washed off every time you take a shower. You can clean the outer portion of the ear by dipping a dry tissue into some water.
However, you should steer clear of the following over-the-counter cleaning techniques:
- Ear candling, also referred to as ear coning, is a popular online practice, however specialists disagree that it is at all useful. On the other hand, it could turn out to be risky and might even burn your hair.
- Numerous items: as was already mentioned, many people clean their ears with pen caps, keys, and bobby pins. All of these objects, meanwhile, have the potential to get lodged in your ears and do major harm, like piercing your eardrums.
Have you ever experienced any symptoms brought on by using cotton swabs in your ears? What was it, and how did you handle it, if so?
