And yes, that means you shouldn't be using cotton swabs to remove wax from your ears. According to experts, this common practice is not only unnecessary but also risky. Here's why. What's the harm ...

Ironically, instead of removing wax, cotton swabs often push it deeper into the ear canal, where it can become impacted. Dr Bhaskar says, "A wax impaction can put pressure on the eardrum ...

The cotton swabs that most of us use to clean wax out of our ears are a lot more harmful than helpful. When you put a Q-tip in your ear, it actually ends up pushing most of the wax deeper into the ...

Many of them resort to solutions such as cotton swabs or similar instruments ... possibly exacerbate the issue by pushing the wax deeper into the ear canal. One potential remedy could be the ...

Avoid using cotton swabs (see below). Try a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in each ear a couple of times a day to soften the wax, Melon suggests, or see an ENT to have wax buildup removed.

Many people use Q-Tips brand cotton swabs as tool to remove excess ear wax from inside the ear canal, but the Q-Tips box clearly says that the swabs should not be used for this purpose.

Many people use Q-Tips brand cotton swabs as tool to remove excess ear wax from inside the ear canal, but the Q-Tips box clearly says that the swabs should not be used for this purpose.

Stay Away From Cotton Swabs You might be tempted to reach for ... possibly trapped behind cerumen (ear wax). This moist environment allows bacteria or fungi to grow. "Swimmer's ear is an infection ...

Here's what the truth sounds like. Should I ever clean inside my ears with cotton swabs? No. You could technically scratch your ear canal or push wax in deeper. Then what should I do about earwax?