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Earbud danger

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More than half of the people who visit ear, throat and nose specialists confess to using earbuds (tiny sticks with cottonwool on the ends) to clean their ears, but the practice can damage the ear if people push them in too far.

A ruptured eardrum is just one unpleasant potential outcome, because that can lead to tinnitus, and in severe cases, to vertigo and facial paralysis.


Here are some alternative, and safer, ways to clean your ears:

Mix equal amounts of cool peroxide and hot tap water. Allow the mixture to reach body temperature and then irrigate the ear - gently - no more than twice a month.  

Mix one part plain vinegar and one part water and use four or five drops once a week.

Make an appointment with a doctor to have ear wax removed, or try an over-the-counter treatment to soften the ear wax so it can be flushed out.

Visit our Hearing Management Centre

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