Miss-Delectable

Cleaning ears with cotton buds 'can cause deafness' - Telegraph

Too many people still ignore advice not to remove their own wax, they claim.

Those suffering from itchy or painful ears are advised to visit their doctor rather than try to fix the problem themselves.

Ignoring the warning and using cotton buds risks perforating the eardrum, causing bleeding and temporary hearing loss, says Dr Peter Roland, from the University of Texas.

In many cases the injury will heal but damage to minuscule bones deep inside the ear can cause permanent deafness.

Although using olive oil can soften the wax, extracting it should be left to a doctor.

Thousands of Britons are thought to suffer hearing loss or infection every year after trying to remove earwax.

Beneficial and necessary, the wax helps prevent dirt, dead skin and hair from getting lodged too far in to the ear.

Any excess is pushed out of the ear canal naturally, helped by the chewing motion of the jaw.

However, poking small objects into the ear can damage the natural build up of the wax, called cerumen, causing it to compact, creating blockages and infection.

Crystal Rolfe, from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), said: "Wax is actually a beneficial self cleansing mechanism that contains protecting antibacterial and lubricating properties.

"Therefore, it should not normally be removed and naturally migrates out of the ear itself. Occasionally wax builds up in the ear, especially in hearing aid wearers and needs to be removed.

"This is best done by a nurse or GP by syringing or microsuction. People should not stick things into their ears to attempt to remove the wax themselves.

"Items such as cotton wool buds usually push wax down further which can cause it to become compacted and even harder to remove.

"It could also irritate the thin lining of the ear canal and in rare cases even perforate the ear drum if it is pushed in too far or accidentally nudged."

The alert comes as a similar warning was issued in America.

Writing in the journal Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery Dr Roland says: "Unfortunately, many people feel the need to manually 'remove' cerumen from the ears. his can result in further impaction and other complications to the ear canal."

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