Significance

• Q-tips are now recognized to cause impacted ear wax. When the Q-tip is placed in the ear canal, it pushed the ear wax farther in the ear canal. This is because the cotton swab at the end of the stick does not completely scoop up or absorb the ear wax. Without complete absorption or scooping, because of the one-directional nature of the object, the ear wax is merely pushed further into the ear canal.
  
  

Effects

• Improper use of Q-tips--which means cleaning of the ear canal--can result in a number of negative complications, including death. In an article from CBC News in Canada, Health Canada is reviewing a coroner's recommendation for further warning labels on Q-tips after a man's death in Montreal. The coroner notes that he sees 10 to 15 cases of broken eardrums from this use. He stated that he has heard of four or five other such cases of related deaths from Q-tip use.
  
  

How to Properly Clean Ears

• As professionals have noted, the ear is a self-cleaning organ. It does not require anything to be placed inside of it, unless a professional is required to clean it because of ear wax buildup. A number of ways are recommended if one must clean it at home: wash the external ear with a cloth, and place drops of mineral oil, baby oil, glycerin or commercial drops in the ear canal to soften wax. The most simple recommendation from professional from home use is to use the pinky finger to clean the inside of the ear.
  
  

Function of Q-tips

• Although the most common use of Q-tips is in cleaning the ear canal, the Q-tip has additional recommended functions which are not commonly known. In the medical field, cotton swabs are used to take DNA samples or microbiological samples. They can also be used to apply medicines to an area, remove substances or to apply cleaning substances such as Betadine. Recently cotton swabs have been used to apply over-the-counter medicine: the stick is filled with the medicine, and as one side is broken the medicine is released into the cotton swab for medication.
  
  

How Ear Wax is Produced

• Ear wax is an important self-cleaning agent that protects, lubricates and provides antibacterial properties to the ear. Without wax, the ear would become dry and scratchy. Normally the ear wax is transported from the eardrum to the ear opening, where it dries and falls out. This transportation is assisted with chewing and the jaw motion. When this system is not performed ideally, it is possibly for ear wax to accumulate.