Cotton buds should not be used to clean ears, health officials say. Inserting a bud could damage the ear canal and eardrum and push wax further down, according to the health watchdog. Experts say using cotton buds risks pushing wax further down the ear canal, which could lead to infectionsIts committee agreed that buds may be a ‘hazard’ that can cause infections or push wax further into the ear canal. The guideline says the ear canal is ‘self-cleaning’, with excess wax falling out on its own, and that the entrance to the ears can be cleaned with a damp flannel. Katherine Harrop-Griffiths, consultant in audiovestibular medicine and chairman of the guideline committee, said: ‘Ear irrigation is an effective method of removing earwax.

Source: Daily Mail November 28, 2017 00:43 UTC