An everyday object that would be better to abandon. Sold as an effective way to clean ears, cotton swabs are actually useless and even a health hazard, according to health professionals.
“The Q-tip is the easiest way to get the impression that your ears are clean,” says a local resident, into a BFMTV microphone.
“I keep it simple and the cotton swab is effective,” said another.
“Micro-traumas” inside the ears
In reality, cotton swabs are strongly discouraged by otolaryngologists and all healthcare professionals.
“Q-tips are bad for several reasons: first, they push earwax deep into the ear and create blockages, and second, they tend to create microtrauma within the ear canal,” pharmacist Naomi Soussan tells BFMTV.
“Then it is really the opposite effect” to the one sought, he emphasizes.
Between external otitis, perforation of the eardrum and facial paralysis, the health problems that these small stems can cause are numerous.
Choose a suitable wash bulb
Due to the risks involved, cotton swabs are best permanently relegated to the bottom of the drawer, according to ENT Olivier Morineau, author of the black cotton swab book.
“The ear cleans itself,” he stresses into the BFMTV microphone.
“Potentially, the lavage bulb may be of interest to people for whom the self-cleaning system is not functional,” he later concedes, “here, it may be useful for lavage if you are sure the eardrum is not perforated.” In this case, the doctor advises to do “washing with warm water” and “washing pear ears.”
In 2017, researchers estimated that 260,000 emergency room visits in the United States were due to cotton swabs.
Source: BFM TV
