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Article: Ear cleaning and infections.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- January 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Cleanliness is important for good health, but there are certain body areas that parents shouldn't clean. One is inside your child's ear canals.
Cleaning ear canals of wax (cerumen) increases the chances of developing otitis externa. Otitis externa, inflammation or infection of the ear canal, is commonly called swimmer's ear. That's because excessive moisture in the ear canal softens it, making the skin more vulnerable to infection.
Although cotton-tipped applicators (Q-TIps) are the most common, bobby pins, toothpicks, and many other objects are also used to remove wax. These misguided attempts at cleanliness scratch the thin lining of the ear canal, ...