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THE DIRTY TRUTH Is Hydrogen Peroxide Good for Cleaning Ears … Or Anything?
people who grew up treating every cut or scrape with fizzing hydrogen peroxide, but there’s no research to suggest hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria or helps wounds heal better. At high concentrations, hydrogen peroxide can kill bacteria or viruses, but this isn’t a level of hydrogen peroxide you would ever want to use on your body. In 1987, a study published in The Journal of Family Practice determined that hydrogen peroxide doesn’t prevent bacterial growth. Another study published in The American Journal of Surgery found that hydrogen peroxide also failed to reduce
What’s the best way to clean your ears? If you’ve thrown out your cotton swabs — and you should, because they’re a terrible way to clean your ears — then you’re probably looking for a new method to remove irritating earwax. One popular at-home treatment calls for pouring a little hydrogen peroxide into the ears. Almost everyone has a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in their first-aid kit, so this seems like a cheap, convenient way to clean out your ears. But is it effective?
the risk of infection at the incision site of appendectomies. In addition to not killing bacteria or preventing bacterial growth, the caustic nature of hydrogen peroxide can actually destroy healthy cells and slow wound healing. If you need to clean a small cut or scrape, it’s much better to use mild soap and water instead. And if you want to remove earwax from your ears, we recommend oil-based drops, ideally baby oil or mineral oil. Either one will do a much better job at cleaning your ears than hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide isn’t the worst way to clean your ears. Any sort of liquid will soften the earwax in your ear, and the fizzing, bubbling nature of hydrogen peroxide can help push the wax out of the ear. However, hydrogen peroxide isn’t something you should use in your ears regularly. This caustic chemical can irritate the skin inside your ear, leading to pain and inflammation. Furthermore, if you have a hole or an ear tube in your eardrum, you should never put hydrogen peroxide in your ear. It can be incredibly painful if hydrogen peroxide gets behind your eardrum.
In addition to not being a good way to clean your ear, hydrogen peroxide might not even be a good way to treat wounds. This news is shocking to
HAVE A LAUGH
Green Beans With Ginger and Garlic Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine
Turkey is, for the most part, a healthy and lean protein. Thanksgiving sides, on the other hand, tend to be a little more indulgent. This year, eschew the classic, creamy green bean casserole in favor of this lighter, healthier, and altogether tastier option.
Ingredients
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger • 1 tsp crushed red pepper • Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 lbs whole green beans, ends trimmed • 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. To the side of the stove, prepare a large bucket of ice water. 2. Cook beans in boiling water for 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to ice water. Drain and pat dry. 3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in ground ginger and crushed pepper. Add green beans. 4. Cook together for 2–3 minutes. 5. Transfer to plate and serve.
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