Expert Warns Against Cleaning Babies' Ears With Cotton Buds

An Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist, Dr Bunmilola Oyeleye-Bello has warned mothers against using cotton buds to clean the ears of their babies, noting that they are exposing them to the risk of hearing loss.

Oyeleye-Bello, who works at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada said it is not necessary to use cotton buds to clean the ears because nature has a way of getting rid of wax from the body.

She disclosed this during an exclusive interview with PUNCH HealthWise, saying: “Nature has a way of getting rid of wax of the body, so we don’t need to interfere with the process by using a cotton bud.”

According to her, the use of cotton bud can cause a perforation or a hole in the eardrum which she noted could lead to conductive hearing loss.

She pointed out that even the wax that mothers try to remove from their babies’ ears is not dirt but a normal body discharge that has a function, stressing that wax plays a vital role in protecting the ear from infection.

“When mothers use a cotton bud to clean the ears of their babies and it brings out this chocolate, brownish, creamy substance, they think is dirt. It is not dirt, we call it wax or cerumen.

“It has a function in the ear and the function is that it fights against bacteria and fungi.

"It also helps the skin in the ear canal from becoming macerated.

"What that means is, it prevents the skin from disintegrating under the influence of water.

"So, that is the function of wax. It is not dirt. It is a normal body discharge that has a function.

“That is the first thing we need to let people and mothers understand.

"And then, nature has a way of getting the body rid of the wax.

"So, we don’t need to interfere with the process by using our cotton buds.

"Nature has a way of getting rid of wax once it finishes its function.”

Giving insight into the dangers of using cotton buds to clear the ear, the expert stated that it damages the normal migration pattern of the skin in the ear.

“You will disrupt that natural migration of wax and that is one of the causes of wax accumulating in the ear.

"Quite a number of individuals have wax accumulation, instead of it falling off naturally, the migration pattern is damaged, so it begins to accumulate in the ear, and sometimes, it blocks the ear.

“Then they now have to come and see a specialist and we now have to bring out the wax.

"So, that is one of the things that using cotton buds does.

"So, it damages the normal migration pattern of the skin in the ear.

“Then a lot of times, the cotton part of the cotton bud can fall into the ear canal.

"I have removed quite a number. We call it a foreign body.

"And it now becomes a foreign body in the ear canal and becomes a focus of infection either bacterial or fungal.

"For some people, it falls in and they don’t even know, they only discover later,” she said.

Oyeleye-Bello added that both babies and adults are not supposed to use cotton buds to clean their ears.

Speaking further of the risks, she noted, “Sometimes, the eardrum can be accidentally perforated, that is, the tip of the cotton bud can perforate the eardrum as a result of vigorous use.

“The eardrum can also be perforated if the mother puts the cotton bud too deep into the canal or the mother is using the cotton bud and is in the canal and someone accidentally hits the hand of the mother or the baby.

“We often see this in adults and not just children.

"So, the eardrum is the path of the sound, so whenever there is a hole in the eardrum from any cause, it means that it will lead to a conductive hearing loss.

"The function of the eardrum in conducting sound is reduced.

"And then sometimes, a perforation in the eardrum can heal naturally if it is not too deep.

“Sometimes, it doesn’t and then it now leads to lifelong chronicity.

"Anytime there is a hole in the eardrum, it leads to conductive hearing loss if there is perforation.

“We try to educate mothers whenever we come in contact with them.

"It is not necessary to use cotton buds. It is not just for babies even adults are not supposed to use cotton buds to clean their ears.”

She urged mothers to desist from the act to avoid exposing their children to ear infections and hearing problems.