A content creator recently sparked debate by suggesting people coat cotton swabs with oil before using them to remove earwax. The creator, known as Madame Sweat, acknowledged that despite medical warnings, many continue this practice. She proposed applying a small amount of oil, such as olive oil, to the swab to help pull out wax without pushing it deeper. However, medical experts strongly disagree with this approach. Dr Sumit Kumar Gaur, an ENT specialist at Apollo Hospital, explains that inserting cotton swabs defeats the ear's natural self-cleaning system and can push wax deeper, causing impaction, hearing loss, pain, and dizziness. Adding oil to the swab does not reduce these risks and may introduce new complications. Instead, doctors recommend using over-the-counter wax-softening drops or seeking professional removal through micro-suction, manual instrumentation, or irrigation.
Medical Experts Warn Against Cotton Swab Use
Dr Sumit Kumar Gaur clarifies that using cotton swabs, with or without oil, is never medically advisable. The ear canal has a natural self-cleaning mechanism where skin migrates outward like a conveyor belt, carrying wax and debris. Inserting a cotton swab acts like a ramrod, pushing wax deeper into the sensitive bony part near the eardrum. This can cause cerumen impaction, leading to hearing loss, pain, tinnitus, and dizziness. Adding oil does not reduce these risks because the danger is not friction but the mechanical force pushing wax inward. While oil drops alone can soften hardened wax, combining them with a swab is unsafe and ineffective.
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