What Should You Do Instead of Using Cotton Swabs to Clean Your Ears?

 In addition to cotton swabs, doctors have observed patients cleaning their ears with hairpins, tweezers, pens, and even straws. However, none of these items work, and cotton swabs in particular might cause more harm than good. They could make you feel clean and satisfied, but it is only a false impression. Continue watching to witness all the harm they can do to your ears.

ThatsForYou wants to educate you on the various ways cotton swabs can hurt your inner ear and how to substitute something else in your everyday routine.

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.

 Many people feel the impulse to remove their earwax, especially when it has accumulated. Instead of moving around, the wax simply rests in the ear canal as a result of them pushing it deeper. The only option in this situation is to see a doctor, who can perform sometimes difficult professional earwax removal.

They can cause infections. 

Earwax has the unique ability to trap and contain the growth of bacteria that enter our ears. It serves as a safety net to prevent bacteria from doing serious harm. However, by using cotton swabs, which force the bacteria and earwax deeper inside, we enable the latter to hurt us. We could very well develop ear infections in this situation.

Why we need earwax 

Earwax not only keeps bacteria out of our ears and eliminates them, as we mentioned above, but it also keeps other things out of our ears like bugs and dirt. Additionally, it is the best natural lubricant for keeping our ears from becoming dry and itchy. Additionally, it is set to unplug from the ear whenever 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

If the pain is initially manageable and not too severe, you can try taking over-the-counter pain relievers to see how they work. You should consult a doctor, however, if the pain persists and is subsequently accompanied by ringing in the ears or muffled hearing. It might be a more serious ear injury that requires medical care and guidance.

 

The most efficient and secure techniques to use at home are these 2:

1. 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.
2. Use a fresh tissue to help remove any remaining ear wax since it is washed off every time you take a shower. You can dab it with a dry tissue.

 Steer clear of the following over-the-counter cleaning techniques:

1. Ear candling, also referred to as ear coning, is a popular online practice, but doctors disagree that it is at all effective. On the other hand, it might turn out to be risky and might even burn your hair.
2. Numerous items: as was already mentioned, many people clean their ears with pen caps, keys, and bobby pins. All of these objects, though, have the potential to get stuck in your ears and do serious 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?