Are cotton swabs dangerous?

Most people use cotton swabs to clean earwax that comes out. What actually happens is that the majority of the earwax is pushed back into the ear canals with the cotton swabs. This puts you at risk of an earwax plug. In addition, it is possible that people can go too deep with the cotton swab and press through the eardrum. That is by no means something you should want. Therefore, it can certainly be dangerous to use cotton swabs.

Using cotton swabs is also not a structural solution for tackling a dirty and clogged ear. Because you irritate the ear canals with the cotton swab, more earwax is only produced. As a result, the already existing and pushed away dirt can become an earwax plug.

Still use?

If you still want to stick with the use of cotton swabs, please pay attention to the following. When using the swab, make sure that you are in a stable or sitting position and that those around you cannot bump into you. Unfortunately, it still happens too often that people are bumped while using a cotton swab and perforate the eardrum. In addition, it should go without saying that you do not go too deep. If you can no longer see the cotton wool on the swab, you are already in too deep.

Conclusion

Do you suffer from accumulating earwax and is this an obstacle in your life? For example, because the ear canal becomes irritated or you can hear less well? In any case, do not use cotton swabs to solve this. You're only making the problem worse. Alternatively, use drops of oil to dissolve the earwax plug. You can also use an ear rinse (Dr. Earcleaner). If the problem really gets too big and you're not sure what to use, talk to your doctor.