Why should you not remove earwax with a cotton swab?

However, none of these tools are effective, and cotton swabs, in particular, can do more harm than good. At first glance, they may give you a feeling of satisfaction and cleanliness but in reality, it's a false feeling. Below are the harmful effects of using cotton swabs to remove earwax .

Why should you not remove earwax with a cotton swab? Picture 1

Harmful effects of using cotton swabs to remove earwax

Causes ear pain

It may sound unbelievable, but cotton swabs can damage your middle ear and more specifically cause a punctured eardrum. According to a study that took place from 1990 to 2010 of more than 263,000 children, looking at ear injuries related to cotton swabs, about 73% of them were found to be related to ear cleaning. This is a large, alarming rate.

Push the earwax deeper inside

Many people want to have their earwax removed, especially when there is a large accumulation of earwax. However, cotton swabs sometimes just push the wax deeper into the ear canal so it just stays there instead of coming out of the ear. In this case, the only solution is to see a doctor to remove the earwax.

Causes ear infections

One of the most beneficial properties of earwax is that it traps and prevents the growth of bacteria from entering the ear. It acts like a safety net that prevents bacteria from causing serious damage. However, when using a cotton swab to push both earwax and bacteria deeper inside, you accidentally create a growth path for bacteria, leading to ear infections.

Why is earwax needed?

In addition to preventing and eliminating bacteria, earwax also prevents bugs and environmental dirt from entering the ear. It is also the best natural lubricant that keeps our ears from getting dry or itchy. In fact, wax is 'programmed' to leave the ear whenever people participate in physical activities. It can actually push itself out into the external ear canal. Now you just need a shower to wash it off.

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How to safely remove earwax at home

Use ear drops: Just follow the instructions to soften the earwax. 2 days later, you can use a syringe to drop some warm water into your ear and tilt your head to let the water drain out. Then, use a clean towel to wipe the outside of the ear.

In addition, you can refer to American doctors' instructions on how to remove earwax without using cotton swabs on TipsMake.com.

David Pac

Update 08 September 2023