A common problem that people come to Urgent 9 for is ear damage from overly-aggressive Q-Tip usage. This is such a prominent health issue right now that Dr. Momjian was invited on ABC 7 news in Los Angeles to discuss the dangers of cleaning the inside of your ears.

The Ear Is A Self-Cleaning System

Look – we get it. Cleaning out the inside of your ear with a Q-Tip and seeing how much wax you removed can be an oddly satisfying feeling. In fact, it probably feels like you’re doing a favor to your personal hygiene when you do an ear cleaning session. The reality is, though, that you’re almost definitely doing more harm than good. Our ears are essentially self-cleaning systems: excess wax will get pushed to the outer parts of the ear where it can easily be removed, even with a towel.

When you push a Q-Tip deep into your ear canal to try and remove wax, you’re actually compacting the wax inside your ear canal deeper and deeper, where it can eventually build up and become impacted. This can cause hearing loss, ear infections, generalized pain, and all sorts of complications. Every urgent care center and hospital deals with hundreds of cases every year where people come in with blocked ears — usually as a result of overly aggressive Q-Tip usage.

Worried that you might have blocked or damaged your ears with Q-Tips? Have other medical questions? Don’t forget that you can have a video conference Virtual Visit with Urgent 9, no matter where you are. Come take a Virtual Visit with us today and get peace of mind!

Dr. Momjian’s Thoughts on ABC 7

Dr. Manuel Momjian, founder and lead physician at Urgent 9, is frequently called upon by the news media to provide his expert opinion on public health matters that affect the community. Recently, he appeared on ABC 7 News to discuss this very issue, and illustrate why Q-Tip usage is so bad… even though so many people are addicted to the feeling of using them.

Watch Dr. Momjian’s Q-Tip related appearance on ABC 7 below!