[size=13pt]The question: Is it true that I shouldn’t use cotton swabs to clean my ears?[/size]
[size=13pt]The answer:[/size] Whether it was mom or grandma who said it first, she was definitely right: You probably shouldn’t put anything in your ear that’s smaller than your elbow.

But in order to understand why you don’t need to swab out the ol’ ears, we first need to understand why we have earwax to begin with. That gross gunk, known medically as cerumen, is actually there for protection. “The purpose of earwax really is to keep your ear canal clean,” says Douglas Backous, M.D., chair of the hearing committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNSF) and director of hearing and skull base surgery at Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle.

Not only does earwax help to keep dust and dirt away from the eardrum, it also provides some antibacterial and lubricating perks. And — one of the body’s many wonders! — your ears basically clean themselves. Once earwax dries, every motion of your jaw, whether that’s chowing down on lunch or gabbing away with friends, helps move the old earwax out of the opening of your ear (much like as if it were riding an escalator, says Backous).

The problem, then, is when we think we’re smarter than the systems our bodies have had in place since the beginning of time, and go poking around in those cerumen-laden ears of ours. Sure, that cotton swab looks tiny enough, but it’s actually pushing earwax deeper into the ear (after shoving it off of that escalator), where it gets stuck in the parts that don’t clean themselves, he says.
Earwax trapped there also brings with it fungus, bacteria and viruses accumulated in the outer ear, potentially leading to pain and infection, says Backous.

Pushing earwax deeper inside can also block the ear canal, leading to hearing loss, or, if you push it even farther, a ruptured ear drum — which, if that episode of “Girls” is to be believed, seems more than a little bit painful.

Every year, about 12 million Americans head to their doctors with “impacted or excessive cerumen,” a really gross-sounding way to say they’ve got serious earwax problems. All those checkups lead to about 8 million yearly earwax removal procedures performed by medical professionals (a.k.a. not the ear candle specialist at the salon on the corner), according to the AAO-HNSF.

Ears really only need to be cleaned — even by a medical professional — if they feel full or you notice changes to your hearing that could be related to waxy buildup. The AAO-HNSF feels so strongly about not sticking cotton swabs in your ears that it released an official position statement about earwax removal, for both physicians and patients. And even the website for Q-Tips, arguably the only most popular brand of cotton swabs, advises to use the product “around the outer ear, without entering the ear canal.”

Yes, we know what you’re thinking, with that grossed-out look on your face: You can’t just stop cleaning your ears. Well, that’s only because you’ve created a vicious “itch and scratch cycle” for yourself, says Backous. The more you rub the skin of your ears, the more histamine you release, which in turn makes the skin irritated and inflamed — just like how that mosquito bite gets itchier the more you scratch it. Plus, because of the lubricating nature of earwax, removing it can simply make your ears drier, motivating you to keep sticking swabs in there in a mistaken attempt at relief.

For those of you who just can’t leave your ears alone, Backous recommends a little at-home irrigation. A few drops in each ear of a mixture of one part white vinegar, one part rubbing alcohol and one part tap water at body temperature should do the trick. (Too cold or too hot and you might feel dizzy, he warns.) But the bottom line? “I can tell you,” says Backous, “there is nothing good about putting anything in your ear.”

Source:
huffingtonpost.com

Na....i cant stop putting cotton wool in my ears. Sweeter than ...

What if you fil itchin?

whitestar01: What if you fil itchin?

It won't be continuous and it will stop after a while. Inserting of object into your ears isn't good. So if you've been doing it,STOP.

LaRoyalHighness: Na....i cant stop putting cotton wool in my ears. Sweeter than ...

That sweetness can result to pains in future so try and stop

All ds tlk be mkin my ears itch .........*gets biro cover





As i ws sayin..........I aint cleaning shi*t.........jst do it fr d sweet sensation.its d next best feelin to sexz u kw!

...lol...

I dont think i can stop doing that stuff....I love the feeling it creates....

Too much of wax in you ear can also cause problems..just imagine leaving dos dirts in ur ears

lies

Doctors always telling us what they told us was good is now bad since 1900

Afrok: Doctors always telling us what they told us was good is now bad since 1900

They are changing it as they discover new things.

Afrok: Doctors always telling us what they told us was good is now bad since 1900

Science isn't stagnant... everyday new discoveries are made that makes old theories and laws look daft. The best thing is to accept change when its for the good.

About using that cotton, at times some particles of it will be left in your ears after cleaning... what happens if these particles accumulate

prowlG:

They are changing it as they discover new things.

spot on...

gcey2k:

Science isn't stagnant... everyday new discoveries are made that makes old theories and laws look daft. The best thing is to accept change when its for the good.

About using that cotton, at times some particles of it will be left in your ears after cleaning... what happens if these particles accumulate

U are right! There are stuffs like cleaning the ear with cotton wool that has become an habit for some of us, trust me the change is not gonna be so easy like some people have already said that " d tin dey sweet dem like sex"

Afrok: U are right! There are stuffs like cleaning the ear with cotton wool that has become an habit for some of us, trust me the change is not gonna be so easy like some people have already said that " d tin dey sweet dem like sex"

what if i say i use keys in keeping it clean

Very
True!,Ever since i stopped putting anything in my ear, I discovered that i
don't feel any itch or dirt,when you form it as a habit you will always
hv reasons to go there Btw i always feel serious pain after cleaning my
ear.

buskie13: what if i say i use keys in keeping it clean

It means you want to damage your ears

Eyop:

d tin dey sweet me too but like sex? Nah... Sex is on a different level bro d tin dey sweet U?

Eyop:

It means you want to damage your ears

I do it with ear buds most times...hope it's safe enough?

Afrok: d tin dey sweet me too but like sex? Nah... Sex is on a different level bro d tin dey sweet U?

Sweet ke Can't remember when last i used cotton bud

buskie13: what if i say i use keys in keeping it clean

it means U always keep ur ears under "lock and key"

buskie13: I do it with ear buds most times...hope it's safe enough?

If there's anyway you can avoid it,please do.

Eyop:
Sweet ke Can't remember when last i used cotton bud

Correct! Although it sweetens me, only d itching propels me in cleaning it with cotton wool which do take time. I'll try if I can adjust to the itching.

Afrok: it means U always keep ur ears under "lock and key"

Lol .....funny u

Eyop:

If there's anyway you can avoid it,please do.

OK....tnx sir

buskie13: Lol .....funny u

... It's good sha coz if we (most people) can keep our private parts under "lock and key", then the ears shouldn't be an exception coz it's private too

Afrok: ... It's good sha coz if we (most people) can keep our private parts under "lock and key", then the ears shouldn't be an exception coz it's private too

hahahaha

buskie13: hahahaha

Abii na... The bigger the lock and key we use in keeping our private parts, the better secured they are . Ear join too..

Afrok: Abii na... The bigger the lock and key we use in keeping our private parts, the better secured they are . Ear join too..

Lol...tnx Mr lecturer

buskie13: Lol...tnx Mr lecturer

Lol...

Afrok: Lol...

em.....can i steal ur signature?