How cleaning his ear with a cotton bud infected the lining of this man’s brain
Maybe this will put patients off using them in their ears like a battering ram
Cotton buds: the fluffy-headed foes of many a GP and ENT specialist.
And this recent case report of a man’s potentially life-threatening intracranial infection is yet another reason why using these to clean your ears will always be an unequivocal no-no.
The 31-year-old in question was taken to an ED in the UK by ambulance after collapsing and experiencing seizures.
The otherwise-healthy man reported a 10-day history of worsening left-sided ear ache and discharge, with left-sided headaches, associated nausea and vomiting.
