Cotton Swabs and Ear Wax- Atlanta ENT

Did you know that more people are sent to the hospital for ear swabbing injuries than razor blade related injuries?

“For the most part, swabs merely condense and impact the earwax further into the ear canal, where it can cause pain, pressure, and temporarily poor hearing,” said a writer for Real Clear Science.

“There’s no need to clean your ears with a cotton bud,” writes Dr. Rob Hicks. “The ear has its own internal cleaning mechanism. Fats and oils in the ear canal trap any particles and transport them out of the ear as wax. This falls out of the ear without us noticing.”

Wax isn’t bad for your ears at all, as it protects them from being invaded by infection and dryness. In very rare case, over abundant ear wax can accumulate, but it’s not a widespread concern.

“Some 12 million Americans visit medical professionals annually for earwax removal. Millions more have it done at spas and ear-candling parlors, which theoretically suck out earwax with a lighted candle. North Americans also spent $63 million last year on home ear-cleaning products, from drops to irrigation kits, according to market research firm Euromonitor International,” stated the Wall Street Journal.

The use of cotton swabs for ears has been perpetuated in order to sell more cotton swabs, not to offer an important health service! Not to mention that ear candles haven’t even been proven to work at all, so while it can be a pleasant experience, you might find it better to spend that money on a relaxing massage, or a pedicure.

Throw away the cotton swabs, unless you’re using them for applying cosmetics.