The Common Act of Hygiene that You Should Probably Stop Doing

We all do it. Reach for the cotton swabs in the bathroom drawer and proceed to shove it in our ear holes. It feels SO good, right?!

Did you know that despite ear hole cleaning being the first thought when it comes to cotton swabs, it LITERALLY says don't put them in your ears on the box? But because, again, it feels SO good, we do it anyway. We should probably stop.

Across the pond, a British man ended up with an infection in his skull thanks to a cotton swab according to WMTW.

A small piece of the cotton detached and remained in his ear and ended up traveling into his skull, stopping short of his brain.

The man began experiencing symptoms of pain and discharge which then evolved into severe headaches and seizures. A CT scan showed two abscesses in the base of his skull.

Thankfully, the man made a full recovery.

So how do we safely clean our ears?!

According to Healthline, there are a number of safe alternatives. One method is to soften your earwax. There are OTC drops you can get at the pharmacy that includes easily accessible ingredients such as; baby oil, mineral oil, and saline. You could also use a damp cloth on the outside of your ear or see your doctor. WebMD recommends you also steer clear of hydrogen peroxide and ear candles.