Can cotton swabs be beneficial or detrimental?

Many people use cotton swabs to clean their ears, not realizing that this is not at all the case.

The otolaryngologist points out that, first of all, you need to know that earwax is a yellow-brown secret secreted by the sweat glands into the ear canal. These secretions are necessary to moisten and clean the ear canal and protect the ear from dirt, bacteria, fungi, foreign bodies and insects.

According to him, within a month, the ear releases 12-20 mg of sulfur, which does not accumulate, but comes out of the ear naturally in the process of chewing food, swallowing, coughing and sneezing, as well as dead cells, hairs and dust. particles come out with it.

Of course, there are people whose ears produce more wax, which may be due to previous trauma or irritation of the ear canal. But it is possible that cotton swabs are the reason for this.

The question arises, has everyone read the written instructions for using cotton swabs? of course not. Unfortunately, this is wrong, because the instructions say that these sticks are designed to clean the skin of the outer ear, without any reference to the ear canal. So why does everyone think that it is designed to clean the ear canal.

1- People use these sticks to clean their ear canals because there is little information about the problems they cause.

2- The ear contains a large number of nerve endings, which is why some people feel comfortable using cotton buds to clean them.

3 – Many people think that earwax is dirt that needs to be cleaned out of the ear daily, and the deeper the cleaning, the better.

Why are cotton swabs dangerous?

Of course, people use these chopsticks to keep their ears clean. But in fact, this process causes this wax to be pushed deeper into the ear, which subsequently leads to its accumulation in the form of a wax plug.

According to doctors, first of all, cotton swabs are foreign bodies for the human body. Its constant use can stimulate the sweat glands to increase their secretion.

And we must always remember that this sulfur is a natural defense mechanism, removing it, we deprive the ear of protection and moisture, which contributes to the penetration of infection, inflammation of the middle and outer ear.

How should you clean your ear?

It is enough to wash the ear and the entrance to the ear canal with soap and water under the shower. Because the external auditory canal cleans itself and does not require additional cleaning.

In case of excessive earwax secretion, you should contact an otolaryngologist who will determine the cause and, if necessary, wash the ear and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Source: News. EN