We all are stuck in our daily routines and don’t see the reason to change. The morning ones are akin to rituals and are to be followed religiously. Brushing our teeth, cleaning our ears, showering, our morning walk, the morning tea, and the newspaper – they are all indispensable. But what if we are told to give up even one of them because they are harmful? Say using even a cotton swab to clean your ears?
It is unthinkable to even consider giving up on any of them but this one has to go. Even the makers of cotton swabs warn against inserting them into your ears. If you are surprised or unconvinced, here are 5 reasons to give up on this harmful practice.
Your Ears Clean Themselves
It might seem unlikely but your ears are as clean as they should be. The wax, a substance called cerumen, is there in your ears for a purpose. The secretion cleans your ears by blocking out dirt and dust particles. Every time you exert your jaw muscles, say to eat, speak, or yawn, the excess wax is dislodged from your ear and comes out naturally. They can be then cleaned away with just a piece of clean cloth.
Ear-Wax Helps Your Ears
The wax doesn’t just keep away the dirt and the dust. Composed of a mix of fatty acids, cholesterol, enzymes, rejected skin cells, as well as some other substances that protect your ears, it guards them against microbial, bacterial, viral and fungal infections. It is acidic and that prevents the growth of fungus and bacteria. Insects are repelled by its odor and the ear canal stays moisturized and lubricated.
Cotton Swabs Lead To Loss Of Hearing
This harmful practice may cause you to hear less or not at all by the time you reach middle age. Each time you push in cotton swabs into your ear, you push the old wax further inside. Through the natural process, they would have come out in due time. This wax puts pressure on your ear-drums and causes irreparable hearing loss due to blockage or even a rupture.
Cotton Swabs Cause Other Injuries
In the two decades leading up to 2010, over 263,000 children had injured themselves by inserting swabs, says a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics. Perforated eardrums and part of swabs stuck in the ear were the most common wounds. The author concludes that the use of cotton swabs is dangerous for both children and adults.
Your Ears Turn Dry
The ear-wax acts as a lubricant. Removing them leaves the eardrum dry when they ought to be moist. It damages the exposed eardrum. Gradually your ears become dry and itchy. They become exposed to infection and that can be painful and cause hearing loss.
If you still feel that the wax in your ear is an irritant then use a piece of clean cloth or Hydrogen peroxide’s few drops to soften the wax. Only clean the visible wax. You don’t want to hear less so soon, do you?
