In a video shared on TikTok, a doctor warns about the dangers of using cotton swabs and explains the correct way to clean the ears.
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A doctor from the United Kingdom, known as Dr.Sooj, often shares health tips on TikTok, and in one of his posts, the general practitioner explains how we should clean our ears and the precautions we should take when doing so.
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“How should you keep your ears clean? You don’t need to,” says the doctor in the video. “Your ears are self-cleaning,” he explains. And for those who think the use of cotton swabs is essential, the professional issues an important warning: “You should not put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear”; “You can take a cloth and clean the external part, but if there is any problem, you need to consult a doctor or nurse, and we will tell you what to do.”
Despite being common, the use of cotton swabs to remove wax from the ear canal can make the ear prone to infections and inflammations and, in more extreme cases, can even cause serious injuries such as a ruptured eardrum. A study conducted in 2017 by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio found that between 1990 and 2010, almost 264,000 children visited emergency rooms in the USA for ear injuries related to the use of cotton swabs.
To the news agency Jam Press, Dr. Sooj mentioned that he often treats people with problems related to the use of cotton swabs: “It’s quite common to see people with compacted earwax in their eardrums. This can cause hearing difficulties, ringing, and even dizziness!” In such cases, a healthcare professional can remove the excess wax with forceps, irrigation, or suction.