Why Does Using A Cotton Bud In My Ear (ie Sticking It In And Twirling It ...

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THE BODY BEAUTIFULWhy does using a cotton bud in my ear (ie sticking it in and twirling it round) always make me cough?

George Foster, Thames Ditton, UK

  • I dunno, but my father used to hiccup whenever he shaved his chin. Maybe we're related?

    Phil Cohen, Sydney, Australia

  • I'd try the small cotton buds easily found at any reputable chemist, as it sounds as if you've been getting your current stock at the vet's.

    Daniel Lillford, Nova Scotia, Canada

  • The same thing happens to me, with Goat's Cheese! - no, not sticking it in my ear, but eating it! Why?

    Siôn Jones, Abertawe, Cymru

  • A small branch of the vagus nerve supplies the tympanic membrane. Stimulation of this nerve causes the cough reflex. This is a normal physiological reflex. The Romans would vomit between courses. One method they used to ellicit vomiting was to ellicit the above reflex with a small feather.

    James, Leicester, UK

  • I'm not sure, my brother does that. Wait, you're not Joey, are you? No! (In reply to James's thing about the Romans, they actually vomited in between courses because they were immensely greedy and so they vomited up their meals so they would have room for more)

    Amelia Rocque, Birmingham

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Tag » Why Do I Cough When I Clean My Ears