Why cotton buds are bad for your ears

Inadequate cleaning of the ears can cause ear infections. 

Ear canal inflammation and even hearing loss can be caused by faulty cleaning using the wrong techniques – say audiologists; the most common mistake is the inappropriate use of a cotton swab.

Although more and more people know that this can be extremely dangerous, they still get the ear canal blocked by the compacted earwax. In the summer, heat and water further aggravate the problem.

The earwax that protects the wellbeing of the ear canal is naturally excreted with the removed epithelial cells and with the pollutants intake.

Therefore, there is no need for extra cleaning, it is enough to clean and wipe the ear canal regularly, according to experts. Although many people are aware of this, ear doctors still treat many patients daily, who complain of hearing loss or ear pain caused by cotton buds. It is sufficient to have a small injury to form a large-scale inflammation in the auditory pathway. In extreme cases, it may even be that someone inserts the cotton bud deeper than intended and damages the eardrum. 

If we are working in a place that is more humid than average, or we may have a narrower ear canal, we have to be more careful when we are cleaning up our earwax and ideally see a specialist once a year. This is an important advice to follow for all of us, as our ears, just like our eyes and teeth, need special taking care of.