Whoever started the generational use of cotton swabs for ear cleaning clearly had no idea what they were actually doing. It’s not just about the consequences these cotton buds have on the environment, but they can actually do real damage to your natural hearing devices.
Discover our latest podcast
Do you really need to clean your ear canal?
According to It’s A Noisy Planet, a programme started by the National Institute of Health, professionals highly recommend discontinuing cleaning your ears with this tiny utensil. Why? First and foremost, because the ear canal actually doesn’t need to be cleared of earwax.
In fact, earwax is essential for a healthy ear as it traps dust and dirt particles and stops them from getting deep inside your ear canal. Experts at It’s A Noisy Planet added:
The inside of your ear doesn’t need to be cleaned because earwax is the cleaner.
Your body already has a way to deal with earwax it no longer needs. Chewing, other jaw movements, and skin growing inside your ear will push old earwax out naturally.
Dangers of a cotton swab
If that hasn’t convinced you to stop using cotton swabs, then you should know that putting this ‘cleaning’ device into your ear will only push the wax further into the canal. This will then lead to an excessive buildup inside the ear which can cause an infection, hearing loss, and it can even rupture your eardrum.
In the case that you do feel like you have an excess buildup of earwax, WebMD suggests ‘putting a few drops of baby oil, hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, or glycerin in your ear to soften the wax.’
When you do have too much ear wax stuffed inside, you may experience muffled hearing and pain.
