4 tips on the use of swabs for your ears

Their function is essential, since they allow us to perceive the sounds and noises produced by the world that surrounds us; However, do you provide your ears with proper hygiene? To use it, do you use swabs?

The use of swabs for cleaning the ears is surrounded by myths and realities, but what is a fact is that they are in the medicine cabinet or cosmetics drawer of each house. Thus GetQoralHealth It brings you four tips on how to use this instrument with cotton tip:

1. Only for the outer zone (the ear). According to the expert Beatriz de Caballero, from the Medical Audiological Center, for this you can use a towel or damp cloth, warm water and soap. Also, you can use the swabs, but without inserting them in the ear, only to clean the external ducts and never enter them more than recommended, otherwise they could cause damage or otitis.

2. Take care of the depth. If you are one of those who introduce it to eliminate traces of cerumen, be careful. A study conducted by the Henry Ford Hospital, discovered that there is a direct relationship between the use of swabs and rupture of the eardrum.

3. It can clog the ear. The misuse of the swabs can push the wax lodged in the outer part of the ear inwards, causing obstructions and infections, according to Beatriz de Caballero.

4. Ideal in the cleaning of wounds. Cotton swabs offer a cheap and effective way to reduce infections in surgical incisions, according to researchers published in the journal Archives of Surgery.

The use of swabs in the toilet is not strictly necessary, since the self-cleaning mechanism of the ear canal is extremely efficient, according to the expert Jorge Centeno Huamán , otorhinolaryngologist Hospital Cayetano Heredia of the Ministry of Health (MINSA).

The ears are a very sensitive part of the human anatomy and its cleaning is essence, you can use swabs, provided it is with caution. Beware!


Video Medicine: Forget Q-tips — here’s how you should be cleaning your ears (March 2024).