Young Englishwoman Skye van Rensburg (21) was deaf for years after she damaged both eardrums with cotton buds while cleaning her ears. The consequences of this incident negatively affected her life, and she had problems not only with her hearing, but also with her balance. She is currently warning people against using cotton buds so they don’t end up like her.
- Skye pierced her left eardrum with a cotton swab.
- After the accident, she lost her hearing almost immediately and felt severe pain.
- Hearing damage caused her problems with balance and perception of sounds.
- Later, she also damaged her other ear with a cotton swab.
Skye from the English town of Winsford decided one day to clean her ears in the shower. But then there was an unfortunate accident that caused her a lot of problems. She accidentally punctured her left eardrum when she inserted the cotton swab too deep. “I lost my hearing almost immediately. The pain came within two minutes and was very strong“, she stated.
When Skye injured her eardrum, she decided to call 911. Paramedics discovered she had actually pierced it and advised her to see a specialist to have the excess earwax removed. But the young mother was afraid to undergo this procedure. “I thought it would hurt a lot and I would lose the hearing in my left ear forever“, she added.
Although Skye gradually got used to her hearing loss, this handicap greatly affected her daily life. “I had trouble hearing my toddler crying or knocking on the door at night. I also couldn’t keep my balance and suffered from tinnitus, so I constantly heard a sound like metal hitting,” Mom remarked.
The Englishwoman admitted that she felt very vulnerable in this situation. A few years later, things got even worse when she also injured her other ear with another cotton swab. Fortunately, you didn’t puncture it this time, you just pushed the grease onto the eardrum, causing muffled hearing.. “So I had no hearing at all in my left ear and only minimal hearing in my right,” Skye stated.
The mother finally visited an audiologist, who removed the accumulated earwax with microsuction. The specialist finally informed her that her pierced eardrum had completely healed. “After the procedure, my hearing completely returned. I was in shock. I had no idea how noisy the world was” said the grateful woman.
Doctors emphasize that cotton buds should not be used to clean the ears. They risk pushing the sebum deeper into the ear canal, which can lead to blockage or injury. Skye is therefore currently warning others to trade them in for safer alternatives. “Many of us use cotton buds and don’t realize the damage it can cause“, she concluded.
