Q-Tips commonly known as cotton swabs is a hygienic cleaning tool for ears, nostrils, and gums. They also have several legitimate uses and popularly used by women. Although medical experts do not recommend them, they can remove excess wax and debris from the ear canal.
Although G-tips was initially designed as a hygiene product, people have been using them in numerous ways. Let’s look at the pros and cons of using a cotton swab in this article.
Pros:
1. Easy to use: They are very soft and easy to clean cotton swab which can scratch an itch, remove wax or dry off your ears after a shower.
2. Cotton tipped applicator: Q-tips have cotton-tipped applicator which is used to clean hard to reach places or apply medicine to some targeted areas.
3. Clean outermost ear parts: Q-tips makers and doctors recommend the use of these cotton swabs in cleaning the outer part of your ear without putting them inside the ear to remove ear wax. You should be gentle when cleaning your ears with them.
4. Multiple uses: The cotton absorbent tips are used for cleaning, cosmetic application, applying ointment, remove small stains from clothes, or carry out other activities.
5. Induce intense pleasure: Gentle use of the Q-tip in scratching your inner ear feels good and can induce some intense pleasure signals to other parts of the body or have some tickling effect.
6. First aid applicator: In case of an accident, Q-tips can apply antiseptic cream on a wound and avoid any infections from dirty fingers.
7. Clean electronics: Quality tips can be used to clean the laser of an optical drive by rubbing it with alcohol. You can also clean video cards and computer fans.
8. Arts and craft: Q-tips can make small polka dots on a DIY or art project. The tip can accurately apply glue to your DIY project or even use it as a paintbrush.
Cons:
1. Push wax inside: Q-tips are not suitable for removing wax from the ears. They can push the wax farther inside the ear and this can interfere with your hearing or cause some bacterial infection.
2. Nerve injury: Using Q-tips after facial surgery can lead to nerve injury especially if some nerves are left exposed after a surgery.
3. Come off: The cotton swab at the end of the plastic stick can come off inside your ear and if this happens, it can cause some infection, ringing in the ear, and pain.
4. Cause wax blockage: Using swabs to remove ear wax can cause a wax blockage which may result in pain and diminish hearing. Extreme wax blockage requires surgery to remove perforated eardrums.
5. Eardrum damage: Putting the cotton swab in your ear canal can cause some hearing problems or damage eardrum or ear canal. There is a high chance or injuring your ear canal if you use the swab to clean the innermost parts of the ear
6. Addictive: It can be quite addicting since the inside of your ears are lined with numerous nerve endings which makes you want to insert cotton swabs or other tools for you to feel good. Constant scratching of the eardrum may cause serious problems.
7. Causes ear inflammation in children: The cotton tip applicator is associated with otitis externa which causes an ear inflammation condition in children. Children can accidentally push the Q-tip to eardrum canal causing serious damage.
8. Marine pollution: Plastic Q-tips can be flushed through the toilet and this can increase the risk of marine pollution or cause other environmental impacts.
