Off another email 
Subject: Cottonbud
Just a piece of information for everyone ~ a truth too many people
do not realize. Please read on...
My husband had ear pain for a very long time, sometimes he would
just visit a private doctor and get some antibiotics and eardrops
and after applying it over a few days, the pain would be gone. He
got a habit of using cottonbuds to clean his ear canals everyday
after his bath ~ just normal cottonbuds that we can purchase at any
shop at 3 for $1.
Lately, the problem became quite serious to the fact that he
couldn't sleep at night and one day, unable to control the pain
even after taking his medicine, he went to see a doctor in the
middle of the night and was referred to the Alexandra Hospital
where they prescribed stronger antibiotics and an appointment to
see a specialist.
Upon visiting the specialist, he advised my husband to never use
a
cottonbud to clean his ears again, after using a special equipment
to remove whatever dirt was remaining very deep in the ear as a
result of using the cottonbud. The doctor said that cottonbud was
never invented to clean ear canals but to clean superficial items
or just surface wounds and to apply medicine. Small pieces or
particles on the cottonbud tend to remain in the ear canal and that
gives opportunity for bacteria to breed and by using a cottonbud,
the dirt in the ear is actually being thrust further into the ear
canal, hindering its self-clearing process. Some people tend to
thrust the
cottonbud very deep into the ear and this may result in the damage
of the eardrum and an operation may be needed to correct the
problem.
The doctor's advice was to use olive oil, just one or two drops
into
the ear once a month and the ear will actually cleanse itself,
thereafter to use a tissue paper to clean just the outermost part
of
the ear.
My husband has since stopped using cottonbuds and has fully
recovered.