Cotton Swabs and Ears

Don’t Go Together!

Cotton swabs were originally designed for infant care, like belly button cleaning. They were later used to apply makeup and for cleaning hard-to-reach areas of the house. People then started using them for a much different purpose: cleaning their ears.

Despite cotton swabs manufacturers putting warnings on their packaging not to insert cotton swabs into the ear canal, people continue to do it.

What’s so bad about it, anyway?

What are the dangers of cleaning your ears with cotton swabs?

Better Safe than Sorry

By far the greatest risk is eardrum perforation. If a cotton swab is accidentally inserted too deeply, it can puncture the eardrum. In addition, rather than cleaning the ears properly, cotton swabs can sometimes create earwax buildup.

Here’s why…

Earwax (also called cerumen) is secreted in the outer third of the ear canal. It acts as a natural barrier, protecting the skin of the ears against bacteria, and fungi.

Because of their shape and narrowness, cotton swabs can push earwax further down the external auditory canal, where it can build up and eventually block the canal. This buildup can cause pain, hearing loss, and even tinnitus. The natural cleaning system of the ears is driven by jaw movements (like chewing), which push the earwax towards the external ear canal. If there is visible excess wax in the external canal, it’s recommended to simply use a cloth, slightly dampened with warm water, to remove it.

The Right Professionals for the Right Care

If your auditory canal is too narrow or you produce a lot of earwax, the wax may not be expelled on its own. In this case, it is important to make an appointment with your family physician, an ENT, or a nurse to have your ears cleaned. They will first perform an otoscopy (ear examination) to determine whether or not there is an excess of cerumen. If so, they will extract it from your ear.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your hearing health professional if you have any questions.

Janie Durette Audioprosthetist practising in Quebec City

References :

- Can Cotton Swabs Damage Hearing? | HearCANADA. (n.d.) Hearing Aids & Hearing Tests in Canada | HearCANADA. https://www.hearcanada.com/en-ca/blog/can-cottonswabs-damage-hearing

- Self-ear cleaning practices and the associated risk of ear injuries and ear-related symptoms in a group of university students. (n.d.) PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5812304/

- ROSLOW SCHWARTZ, S. (March 22, 2022) Ear wax: the good, the bad, and the ugly. ENT & Audiology News. https://www.entandaudiologynews.com/features/audiology-features/post/ear-wax-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

- Ear Wax Blockage - The American Academy of Audiology. (n.d.) The American Academy of Audiology. https://www.audiology.org/consumers-and-patients/hearing-and-balance/ear-wax-blockage/