The doctor warns: cotton swabs do not clean the ear, but can cause wax plugs and otitis media.

Cotton swabs push the wax deeper, which can lead to wax plugs, congestion and hearing loss.

The ear can clean itself with normal hygiene.

If you are prone to wax plugs, it is recommended to consult an ENT doctor rather than try to remove them yourself.

MOSCOW, October 1 - RIA Novosti. Cotton swabs do not clean the ear, but push the wax deeper, which can lead to wax plugs, congestion and hearing loss, said Yana Novikova, an otolaryngologist at the Bud Zdorov clinic in St. Petersburg.

“The stick does not “clean” the ear, but pushes the wax deeper into the eardrum, and this is how wax plugs, congestion and hearing loss appear. Plus, the delicate skin of the ear canal is easily injured: a banal scratch results in inflammation, otitis externa, and sometimes ruptures of the membrane occur,” Novikova told Gazeta.Ru.