Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-ear cleaning among the general population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Many people practice placing various things in their ears to remove earwax, known as self-ear cleaning. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-ear cleaning of the community in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out for more than six months. After institutional research ethics approval was obtained for the study, a structured self-response questionnaire was provided to the participants. Results: 631 (70%) participants completed the study questionnaire. More than 42% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that cotton buds should be used to clean the ears. Most participants disagreed with the statement that it is best not to clean the ears. More than two-thirds (75.8%) of the participants knew that cotton buds could cause ear infections, 78.9% knew that cotton buds could cause eardrum perforation, and 85.6% knew that cotton buds could push ear wax deeper into the ear. Considering the tool used for self-ear cleaning, almost two-thirds (68.6%) re-ported using cotton buds. No complications due to self-cleaning of the ear were reported in 65%, while 16.2% reported pain because of self-cleaning, while 16% of the participants reported otitis externa. Conclusion: The general population in the Riyadh region had a moderate to a good level of knowledge about self-ear cleaning and its complications. However, a low attitude towards cleaning with a cotton bud was the primary tool used to clean the ear. About two-thirds (65%) of the participants reported complications due to self-cleaning. 16.2% reported having pain due to ear self-cleaning.