Do Not Insert Into Ear Canal!

actually you are not supposed to put q-tips into your ear due to the fact that the ends of the q-tips are made of 100% cotton and when we go to clean our ears we are scrathing the sides of the ear canal which can eventually lead to an outer ear infection, which seriously hurt like a bitch when u don't have medical insurance and no cash for antibiotics.

The smallest thing you should ever use to clean the ear canal is a damp washcloth wrapped around your elbow.

I can't hear you.
I've got an elbow in my ear.

I'll get jp to sign that to you.

hey im new.......how do u guys do things around here?

what do they make the damn things for then - lol

they originally made them for cleaning ears and a recent study (conducted in early '04) found the defects in q-tips and fought to take them of store shelves, but later found that people use them as swabs.

Every time I hear the word swab, it reminds me of pirates swabbing the deck! "Hey Joe, go get us another pack of them swabs so we can finish this foredeck, will ya? Arg, matey!"

< the men in white coats race into the room and grab Lady J. She keeps screaming, "But I am a pirate! I am I tell you!" as they drag her, kicking and screaming, from the room.>

Welcome to AK then Ringpops! It's a pleasure to have you hear and I am happy to see that you are jumping right in to get the feel of things. How do we do things around here.....hmmmm....good question!

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Dang it Gus!! Did you tattle on me? I always wanted to be a pirate wench too....right alongside Johnny Depp. :wink:

The reason you aren't suppose to put Qtips in your ears (and it's been around forever) is because you actually end up pushing the wax into your ear and it compacts, causing some temporary hearing loss and if water gets behind there or nasty bacteria, you get an inner ear infection.

and i thought you were not supposed to stick them in your ear because it felt good and you might do it again

What Bella said, yep.

The ear has its own way of getting wax out and if you push it in with a q-tip (even if you don't realize you are) that bolloxes everything up.

agreed - I like a dry ear also after my shower

I am horrible with Q-tips.. I shove them in my ears... maybe thats why I am going deaf... ok well not deaf.. I have perfect hearing but somedays it isn't as good as others!

Go get your ears cleaned by a dr. It is gross what comes out.

thats actually why u r not supposed to insert them into the ear canal, but a recent study shows that u r not even supposed to touch the put a q-tip up to ur ear at all b/c of the scratches caused by the cotton ends, trust me the doctor told me

Scratch the outside of your ear with cotton? I scratch my ear with my fingernail and it doesn't hurt. Hm.