"Cotton-Tip Swabs Send Dozens Of Kids To The ER Every Day" - Andrew M. Seaman
Almost three dozen children end up in U.S. hospital emergency departments every day thanks to injuries that result from using cotton-tipped swabs to clean their ears, according to a new study. "Serious injuries to the ear canal or the eardrum are rare," according to Alyssa Hackett, MD, an assistant professor of otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "More commonly, the wax is pushed deep into the ear canal instead of removed by the cotton swab which can cause a temporary hearing loss similar to the feeling of having an ear plug in the ear," said Dr. Hackett, who also wasn't involved with the new research.
- Alyssa Hackett, MD, Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai