It’s medical advice that’s usually ignored, but even the most determined ear cleaners might be persuaded to quit the habit after two patients’ experiences with impacted cotton wads.

Cotton buds were the source of the serious complications for two patients who had impacted wadding in the ear canal, write the authors from the otorhinolaryngology department of a UK hospital in BMJ Case Reports.

“Here, we have presented two cases of aural foreign bodies, both of which suffered serious sequelae leading to suppurative labyrinthitis and profound sensorineural hearing loss,” the authors said.

Both cases illustrated the public view of cotton bud use in the ear canal as being harmless, they said.