do you put q-tips in your ears

[seliph]

let's be honest here

i do, what else am i supposed to do when the insides of my ears get itchy? die?

 

[SkyKnight03]

I was taught not to do this. Seeing someone in my family deal with an infection was enough to discourage me.

I do get muffled hearing due to allergies, so I use a nasal spray. It's not the most comfortable thing either.

 

[Ananas Dragon]

i knew a girl in elementary school who got her q tip stuck all the way in her ear and then she had to go to the hospital or something. idk, but it sounded like it hurt so I don't do it

 

[seliph]

i knew a girl in elementary school who got her q tip stuck all the way in her ear and then she had to go to the hospital or something. idk, but it sounded like it hurt so I don't do it

sounds like a skill issue to me tbh

 

[rocketspruggs]

No, because I heard it damages your eardrums.

 

[seliph]

No, because I heard it damages your eardrums.

it does if you ignore the excruciating pain you'll feel when you get close to them

 

[moonbyu]

the one time i used a q-tip, i went deaf for like 3 minutes, even though i took it out right away i'm wayy too scared to use them now

 

[Zinnia.]

There are warnings against this?? I've never heard them. Either way, I'm really careful when I use qtips so it's probably fine.

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

yes i use them despite all the warnings.. its almost addictive

 

[Corrie]

I use them after every shower! I feel like they pick up more wax when my ears are wet.

They can be dangerous but if you're just careful and move slowly, you should be fine. You're not supposed to shove them deep onto your ear, you're supposed to just swirl on the sides of the inside of your ear. Nothing deep.

 

[-Blue-]

Q-tips were actually made because Leo Gerstenzang saw his wife use toothpicks with pieces of cotton for their infant and he thought that was dangerous. I had to Google his name, but I remembered this bit of information. I forget how I came across it. I think during some school report for whatever reason.

 

[OswinOswald]

I am an ENT and I tell patients not to put qtips in their ears ALL THE TIME and I've taken bits of qtips out of patients' ears.... And yet I do it! Except in Asian culture, it's not qtips, but little metal ear scoops. And usually someone helps you scoop it out, but one can definitely do it to oneself. Actually, I use bobby pins right now because it's easier than finding an ear scoop.

But from a medical perspective, I'd recommend rubbing the outside of your ear instead of scratching the ear canal with an instrument. Just because bad things can happen if you do accidentally scratch things. Or sometimes I recommend alcohol and vinegar rinses for itching or steroid drops/creams if there is underlying eczema involved.

Post automatically merged: Mar 10, 2024

Q-tips were actually made because Leo Gerstenzang saw his wife use toothpicks with pieces of cotton for their infant and he thought that was dangerous. I had to Google his name, but I remembered this bit of information. I forget how I came across it. I think during some school report for whatever reason.

One of my bosses used to always say to his patients that Qtips were invented in 1921 and people obviously didn't use qtips before that time!
(I guess they used toothpicks and other things instead!)

 

[~Kilza~]

Nope. I've never put a Q-tip in my ear, nor have I ever felt the need to.

 

[-Blue-]

One of my bosses used to always say to his patients that Qtips were invented in 1921 and people obviously didn't use qtips before that time!
(I guess they used toothpicks and other things instead!)

Apparently toothpicks poked into little pieces of ripped cotton. Imagine the cotton sliding off halfway in or you didn't realize it already fell off by the time you plunged it in.

 

[Gabby]

I do, but I am very careful.

 

[.: Meri :.]

I do sometimes, although mainly I clean my ears with diluted hydrogen peroxide, which I often do if I start to feel like I'm coming down with something. Could be total nonsense but I was told it's supposed to help prevent/lessen the severity of colds.

 

[OswinOswald]

I do sometimes, although mainly I clean my ears with diluted hydrogen peroxide, which I often do if I start to feel like I'm coming down with something. Could be total nonsense but I was told it's supposed to help prevent/lessen the severity of colds.

The peroxide definitely helps loosen up the wax! That or sometimes mineral oil.

I don't know that it will necessarily help prevent a cold though

 

[Midoriya]

Don't feel like voting, but I don't use q-tips. I basically just rub the outside of my ear and rinse with water when necessary. I also get my ears cleaned at the doctor's every now and then.

 

[VernalLapin]

I do because removing the earwax is so disgustingly satisfying XD I only hit my eardrum badly once. Don’t try this at home, kids.

 

[Flyffel]

I don't because every source imaginable tells one not to do it but I definitely need some help with cleaning my ears...