Page updated 13/03/2007
Common cold
For information on the condition, prevention and treatment see:
http://www.cf.ac.uk/biosi/associates/cold/home.html
Don't put cotton buds in your ears
Source: Daily Telegraph Date: 19/11/2003
Recent research has shown that 36% of the adult population use cotton buds to clean their ears, and figures show that 7,000 people attend hospital with injuries caused by these implements. If the bud is stuck inside the ear, this is rarely serious, but regular use can lead to skin irritation, infection and permanent hearing loss. Simon Baer, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, says: 'In most circumstances, wax is actually beneficial to the ear.' Readers are encouraged to use Audiclean, available from Boots, instead. Audiclean is a sterile solution that is gently sprayed into the ear, and is useful for people who have been told by their doctors that they have excessive ear wax.
Up to top
The Minster Practice, Lichfield
