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Q-tips: do you disregard the warning?

Do you disregard the "Q-tips" warning?

  • Yes

    Votes: 42 82.4%

  • No

    Votes: 8 15.7%

  • Not sure.

    Votes: 1 2.0%
  • Total voters
    51
Drumjim85

Drumjim85

macrumors 68030
Original poster
WARNING: Do not insert swab into ear canal. Entering the ear canal could cause injury. If used to clean ears, stroke swab gently around the outer surface of the ear only, keep out of reach of children.
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I clean my ears all the time, and pretty deep too. I am always wearing deep fitting earphones and i don't need them to get all nasty inside.

So: do you disregard this warning?
 

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There's nothing wrong with cleaning...now digging until you see blood (like the WebMD article references) sort of speaks for itself in terms of stupidity...
 
Drumjim85 said:
I think the correct medical answer is "nothing". It's supposed to ball up and fall out on its own.
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Exactly. Earwax is good. The Q-tip use to which this thread refers can not only cause impaction and rupture, but you're removing the body's natural defense against water and infection in the ear.
 
If the eardrum ruptures, do you go completely deaf? 😕


Anyway, I go digging pretty far. I've never had bleeding, so I guess I didn't hit the hard surface inside hard enough!
 
Abstract said:
If the eardrum ruptures, do you go completely deaf? 😕
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I don't believe so.

A myringotomy is a very common procedure where a incision is made in the eardrum and a tympanostomy tube is inserted to promote draining of the middle ear. This procedure immediately restores hearing in patients who experience hearing loss due to pressure behind the eardrum.
 
I dig in my ear all the time, but not really because of the wax. My ear would itch and drive me nuts until I attack it with a q-tip.

On an different subject entirely: remember when Kleenex nearly lost their trademark ("Kleenex") because it became so ubiquitous? They campaigned like ******* to get us to call them tissue, and it worked.

I wonder if Q-Tip still have their trademark?
 
I hate it when I don't clean my ear at least once a week. Otherwise, I feel like everybody knows I have really waxy ears.

I try to clean my ears with soap and water but that doesn't do a lot. 🙁

Q-Tip is a savior for now. 😀
 
I have all kinds of trouble out of my ears. I always have, ever since I was a kid. There for a long time, I would use Q-Tips every day and probably quite a few times a day, but a few months ago, I got an ear infection in one ear, then ended up about a month later getting an ear infection in the other ear. I changed my behavior and now only use Q-Tips when it's getting on my nerves so bad that I can't stand it, which is a couple of times a week, but seems to be getting more frequent as of late. A couple of days ago, my left ear started draining, so here I am, sitting with cotton in it. 🙁

It sucks. I've gotta get me an ear appointment soon. My last Dr. didn't help me, but my friend knows a good Dr., so I'm gonna see them and see if I can get some help.
 
I don't clean way deep but clean just enough to get my Apple in-ear's to not squeege out.

If going deep, you've got to be gentle. A little too far can be very painful and cause permanent damage.
 
I never went too deep, but I always went to the point of that awesome orgasmic feeling... needless to say I ended up pushing wax deeper into my ear than removing apparently, one day my hearing just went out in one ear. Not completely, but it sounded like water clogged ears and it couldn't go away no matter what. I doused with peroxide, etc nothing worked.

Ended up going to the urgent care on a sunday because that was the only place open and it was _really_ irritating me. Doctor just took a plastic syringe of water and blasted my ears out. It was amazing the ball of hard wax that came out, wasn't soft it was like toughened wax. Anyways, I still use Q-Tips, and I still do almost like what I did then, just not quite as hard. I also have my own plastic syringe ready for if it happens again, heh.
 
Disregard it everytime. If I forget to clean my ears for a while and when I remember it feels so damn good when I clean them.
 
I live on the edge. I drive with my arms out the window, I walk under ladders and go out and play in the street.

Also, I use Q-Tips improperly. 😱
 
My ear used to bleed, but it wasn't from getting near the ear drum, just a sensitive spot quite close in that likes to bleed every couple of years.

I never read the warning! But I think I'll take more care now. I love the feeling after a good clean when everything sounds a fraction bit clearer.
 
Abstract said:
If the eardrum ruptures, do you go completely deaf? 😕


Anyway, I go digging pretty far. I've never had bleeding, so I guess I didn't hit the hard surface inside hard enough!
Click to expand...

I perforated my eardrum once on a plane. I was congested and didn't take enough meds before flying, and didn't chew gum/blow my nose. Suddenly I had awful, horrible pain in my ear, and my hands were shaking so bad from it that my girlfriend had to rip open the advil for me. It stopped a few minutes later and I felt fine the rest of the flight. We got to the hotel, my ear still felt a little funky, so I grabbed a q-tip and swabbed around...and had a blood covered q-tip. Thank god for google, it was midnight in las vegas and I didn't feel like trying to find a doctor if I didn't need one. I slept with that ear on the pillow, the blood drained overnight and it didnt even hurt.

My regular doctor was not happy with my decision to ignore it and continue on my vacation, but a round of antibiotics cleared out any excess fluids and swelling and my ear healed fine.

I do notice it is more sensitive when I get congested now, and I avoid all q-tips after they started to bother my ear a bit. I figure if my ear is already predisposed to being sensitive I don't want to make it worse.
 
nplima said:
... and what kind of cleaning procedure do you have in place for the earphones?
Click to expand...

when ever i see debris inside, i try my best to get it out, and after they come out of my ear (actually, usually before they go in again) i wipe off all the nastyness.
 
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