Is it true that using cotton buds would do you more damage than benifit??

Question

i've watched the movie prime and the character of meryl strip never let his son use cotton buds because it very unsafe so his son ended up not using the for about 26 years. So is it true?

Answer 1

I believe it is.  

It pushes the wax down the ear when it's supposed to come out.

A co-worker almost perforated her eardrum with use of a cotton bud.

Answer 2

Well I've heard that poking them in your ears can cause a problem, but I think that (as with everything) if you use them sensibly then you're going to be ok.  If they were such a health and safety hazard they wouldn't be on the market.  Common sense is the issue here.

Answer 3

Well if you use cotton buds etc to clean out your ears you will eventually end up with otitis externa...an infection of the outer ear which is very painful...ear gets very red/hot....

Ear cleanliness is probably a victorian idea and isn't really all that necessary except to keep ourselves happy...you actually have natural oils that keep the skin in these delicate structures in good health and as you wipe away the oils you expose the skin to possible infection

...what I would do is use audispray or audiclean and gently pat dry your ears