To not give up using cotton ear buds?

[cowsoy]

I keep hearing about how cotton buds are really bad for your ears and you shouldn't use them.

I tried to stop the other week and had to give up after a few days when I put some headphones in and the headphones had wax on when I took them out of my ear...

It then took me about 10 cotton buds to get my ears clean again.

Apparently you're just meant to let the wax naturally make its way out of your ears and drip/be pushed out... but I feel like if people look at me from a certain angle they will just see my wax-filled ear canal [sick] and I felt really dirty...

Apparently doctors say you should just wipe the outside of your ear with a flannel but I don't think its enough, people can still see the wax...

OP, I use a product called Audiclean as an alternative to ear buds. It really works!! It's an ear cleanser made of purified seawater that prevents wax building up. If you use it 2-3 times a week, it cleanses your ears by dispersing the earwax then eventually starts preventing earwax forming.

I think I originally bought it from Boots, but just buy from Amazon now. Haven't bought ear buds in years because of it. You can use it on children 2+ too.

They are banned for ears in our house. We do have them though, used to apply eye shadow etc, basically single use make up application so nothing is going on your skin/lips and then being dipped back into the make up.

One of my kids sneakily used them in ears, knowing that the rule is nothing bigger than a knuckle in your ear. Guess who had to go and have a vile mass of impacted wax that had been pushed down removed.

I ALWAYS use ear cleaners. My auntie was doing a course in hear care and had to practice ear moulds, looked into my ears first and they were perfectly clean. a bit of wax but what would be considered "normal" for the inner ear. Couldn't do my sisters due to wax buildup.

My BF doesn't use them and I never see wax in his ears.

I think when I have kids I will get something like this;

lcpshop.net/product/smart-swab-most-effective-ear-cleaning-and-ear-wax-removal-tool/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjt_5wqak4AIVipTtCh2BIwKLEAQYCCABEgLO1vD_BwE

If you've ever experienced the pain of impacted ear wax, you wouldn't continue using them. And that's without even staring on the environmental issues...

If you're really concerned about waxy ears, get some O-Tex from the chemist. Put a few drops in your ear and lie on side with that ear facing up so the drops don't come out (it's not exactly comfortable, a bit like having your ear filled with water) and lie there for about 15-20 mins. Then get straight in the shower and use the hot water to rinse out your ear, the drops and any wax will come straight out.

I wonder if it's a bit like hair and the more you clean your ears they get waxier quicker to make up for it?

*starting not staring

Don't even mention the things ... like a complete idiot, I punctured my eardrum with one a couple of days ago

It doesn't seem infected or anything, and all the online advice says there's no point seeing the GP unless it develops other problems, but I'm still really worried. Please does anyone know how long they take to heal?

I didnt clean my ears for months after reading that you werent supoose to. Then when I did a few days ago it was vile. The wax was coming out in lumps. theres no way im leaving my ears like that so im bck to using cotton buds.

whatsthepointthen That's exactly how I feel!!!! Are we supposed to just let our ears get full of wax? I don't get it.

Might try the likes of Audiclean.

This thread is making me go wtf, how are people getting THIS much wax in their ears that it’s building up over a matter of days and transferring to earphones and all sorts? I didn’t know that was possible!

What a thread! I don’t clean my ears with cotton buds, they’re perfectly fine just being rinsed in the shower 🤷🏼‍♀️ I had a big lump of wax suctioned out as a child, I can still picture it now, very gross. I’m pretty sure that was from pushing the wax further in with cotton buds. Like everything, everyone is different. I went to primary school with a boy whose ears were full of black (looked like marmite) wax

I've used them for 50 years and have never had a problem w my ears. Dh and kids use them too. Maybe we are extraordinarily talented but we all mastered the art of cleaning without damaging very quickly and easily. And we must all be extraordinarily waxy because we'd all have filthy ears if we didnt use them.

Have always used the cardboard ones so no environmental guilt.

DD has had grommets and spent a lot of time with ENT consultants, they say don't stick anything in your ear.

Tbf ENT consultants don't have a lot of contact with people whose ears are fine and dandy. I guess they deal more with when it all goes wrong.

Surely some people
just get more wax than others?? Just because some of you dont get alot doesnt mean others dont. I just had to touch my ear with the bud and it was covered in wax. It took about 4 buds to actually clean it.

Am also surprised some of you have so much wax.

I use a cotton bud at most once a month and there's hardly any wax.

Have never done my DC's ears and they are perfectly clean.

I've only ever seen wax in one person's ear and that was a boy at school.

People that don't get earwax, what would you suggest those of us that do get lots of earwax do?

This thread is making my ears itch and I am now craving a good old poke. Generally though I just dampen a bit of cotton wool and give my inner ear a wee wipe round with that every week or so.

Well, you are probably getting lots of wax because you are sticking stuff into your ears, it’s a cycle.

Use a product like Waxol or similar. You fill the ear, lie on your side while you watch a movie or similar and then have a warm shower and clean your outer ear canal with a face washer. Repeat until all wax is gone.

Not use cotton buds. Use drops?
See if the wax goes of its own accord if left alone?

From NICE's Clinical Knowledge Summary on earwax

Advise people against inserting anything in the ear. Cotton buds, matchsticks, and hair pins can:

1. Damage the wall of the canal and increase the likelihood of otitis

externa.

1. Cause the wax to become impacted by pushing it further into the canal.

1. Perforate the tympanic membrane.

Why on earth would anyone do it?

To clean their ears Rioting (do try and keep up). I must admit Im not sure how they are using them if they are impacting their ears w wax or rupturing anything, maybe a "how to" guide would work better than banning them?

Hopping do you think I'll produce less mucus if I stop blowing my nose?

They are NOT EAR BUDS and should not be put in ears

It seems 2 camps have emerged:

1. How could anyone consider cleaning their ears using a cotton bud

1. How could anyone consider going around with their ears full of wax.

I wonder if camp 1 produce less earwax so they don't see why anyone would clean their ears?

I also wonder if camp 1 think that camp 2 are ramming cotton buds in there with all of their force deep into the ear canal?

I think camp 2 just gently insert the bud and give it a wipe, we're not going anywhere near the eardrum or doing it so hard we're going to rupture anything—could be wrong tho...

But camp 1 are backed up by ALL medical opinion and the actual makers of cotton buds themselves.

Whereas camp 2 are just convinced it's somehow necessary for them. And camp 2 is further divided into "well, I do it properly and therefore have never had a problem" and "yep, I used cotton buds every day, right up to the point where I perforated my eardrum/had to have a load of wax extracted from my ear/gave myself an infection".

Keep using cotton buds if you want, but don't moan to your doctor when something goes wrong

i have to use them, i feel uncomfortable otherwise