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Use of cotton swabs in ears led to infection

A woman's daily habit of cleaning her ears with cotton swabs led to a life-threatening infection. The 37-year-old woman said she cleaned her ears every night with cotton swabs, according to the Australian magazine That's Life! But over time, she noticed she had trouble hearing out of her left ear, and finally went to the doctor. After a hearing test showed she had moderate deafness, she was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist. She underwent a 5-hour operation to remove infected tissue and reconstruct her ear canal. The surgeons told her that she had cotton fibers lodged in her ear, which had become infected. Using a swab to clean the ear can actually be counterproductive and push earwax back into the ear. What's more, cotton swabs or other tools may cause irritation or even damage the ear.

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