To continue using cotton buds in my ears

[bumblenbean]

.. when the expert view is that it’s a pretty bad idea? I cannot seem to stop this rather unsavoury daily habit. I don’t do it to shift earwax, but simply because the sensation of twirling a cotton bud in the inner ear feels so good! I’ve heard it described as an eargasm (!) - I wouldn’t go that far but it is very satisfying especially if there’s a minor itch in the ear ...

AIBU to carry on regardless, since i’ve never had any untoward incidents? Admittedly I did have a minor crisis once when the cotton came away inside my ear and DH had to perform an extraction with a pair of tweezers... but that was due to a rather too vigorous twirling action which has since been modified

DH thinks I’m mad to keep doing it and appears to think I’ll end up piercing my eardrum or something else rather dramatic. Surely someone else out there indulges in this despite knowing it’s probably a bad idea?! Or do I need to go cold turkey?

And does anyone have any other inadvisable yet oddly compulsive habits they can share?

When I didn't clean my ears out I ended up doing a full body shudder followed by a chunk of wax falling out it was embarrassing

What elelse am I meant to do when I wake up at four in the morning with really liquidy ear wax filling my ear. It literally feels like I have just been in the shower or swimming. A quick rub around with an ear bud and back to sleep I go.
If I didn't have the ability to use an ear bud, I would be awake two and a half hours before the alarm and that would be a really bad thing in terms of my mental and physical health.

I ended up in hospital, really quite unwell and on iv antibiotics from an outer ear infection (apparently) caused from cotton buds.
It still hasn't stopped me! It's more of a drying thing for me, I can't stand a soggy earhole

I have literally just watched a little Planet Earth video of a seahorses with a cotton bud -if you must use them please make sure they go in a bin.

For those of you who don't use cotton buds, how do you cope with the feeling of waxy full ears? washing the outer with a flannel doesn't get rid of the need to unclog.

Yessssss OP - I find it so addictive, and I’ve been in mega pain from pushing wax in further because of it - nothing puts me off! I remember once, I was de-waxing my ears with a cotton bud, very gently, and ended up easing out a perfect wax cast of my inner ear. I was in total, total awe.

If you need to dry inside your ears after swimming/hairwashing (which actually is useful for preventing stagnant water in your ear causing an infection), then it's much safer to use a hairdryer on a low, gentle setting for a while, directed into your ear.

I still use cotton buds though

Lovely to hear about all the nhs resources you're wasting by doing this. Don't you think gp's and ENT's have got better things to do than dig earbuds out of your ears?

Not to mention the environment.

What are cotton buds for though if not ear cleaning??

My friend’s Doctor put “Serial cotton bud abuser” in her medical notes!

She was visiting about an entirely unrelated issue, but the Doctor asked if she cleaned her ears, tutted then spoke the words as he was typing them up!

My names Stark and I'm an addict.

I literally feel like I'm losing my mind a bit if my ear is itchy and I don't have a bud.

Once a day, easily. Sometimes more

Oh and I'd never dream of putting them down the toilet, always a bin

I'm pleased to report that my two perforated ear dums were nothing to do with cotton buds

It is a satisfying feeling, although I favour the lengthy nail of a little finger. My ears clag up easily and I used to love the sensation of getting them syringed. I can build up quite big globs of skin and wax easily.

Lovely to hear about all the nhs resources you're wasting by doing this. Don't you think gp's and ENT's have got better things to do than dig earbuds out of your ears?

In nearly 49 years of life I've never had an ear infection or seen any kind of doctor - NHS or other - about my ears.

If I did, as I'm in the US I would pay them handsomely for the privilege of dealing with it.

Do mine at least once a day, always have a supply of cotton buds by the bed as I quite often wake with an itchy ear. Couldn't be without them.

I never used them, until recently after an ear infection. They are so satisfying once the infection has died down!

Unfortunately I think they're causing me repeated infections cos I can't stop fiddling now.

Oh and I've only needed the Dr once and that was before my earbud addiction so no waste of nhs resources here

when I wake up at four in the morning with really liquidy ear wax

But this is caused by the ear bud. It’s basically swimmer’s ear for which you need a particular type of prescription-only medication that I can’t remember the name of. And guess how I know

I use them on me and dc. Love it.
on dc only outer ears though, only the bits you can see.

I’m very careful when I use them but I did go two weeks not being able to loosen wax with ear drops that was preventing me to hear. Eventually the drops loosened it. Years ago I as in the shower and water got in my ear causing wax to effect my hearing. Had to go to a clinic to get it washed out. It made me terribly dizzy for a few mins. Afterwards. If my ear itches in can’t help but use one.

I will use cotton buds in my ears until the day they are removed from the market.. I love them

At least a lot of cotton buds are actually cardboard anyway, not plastic. I use Johnson&Johnson (surely a pretty major brand) and they're cardboard.

"Apparently you can hire an expert who comes equipped with a whole array of implements (e.g. tiny spoons) to do it."

I want a set of tiny spoons!

I have excessively used them all my life. Age 46, I have developed chronic otitis externa (I think it is called). Disgusting slopppy ear causing me problems sleeping / lying down. Tinnitus. Pain. Don’t do it!
Although I do still use them...

As a child we called them earbuds. What else are they for?