✅ Yes, the content warning against using Q-tips (cotton swabs) to clean ears is true and authentic, as reported by several reputable sources in the medical and health fields.

These include:

1. https://entandallergyspecialists.org/is-it-ever-safe-to-use-q-tips-in-your-ears/ (Trust Score 7/10)

- This ENT specialist group explains that Q-tips are not safe for ear cleaning, particularly citing a study where Q-tip use was the leading cause of ear infections (otitis externa) in children.

2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10505834/ (Trust Score 9/10)

- A peer-reviewed article from the National Institutes of Health shows that Q-tip misuse can cause ear infections, eardrum perforation, and other ear trauma, despite many people mistakenly using them to clean the ear canal.

3. https://www.audiologyfirst.ca/blog/5-reasons-why-you-should-never-use-q-tips-for-earwax-removal-and-cleaning (Trust Score 6/10)

- An audiology clinic details risks such as pushing wax deeper, causing impaction, irritation, infection, and potential hearing loss from Q-tip use.

4. https://www.happyearshearing.com/dangers-of-q-tips-and-cotton-swabs/ (Trust Score 6/10)

- This hearing center highlights that cotton swabs can rupture the eardrum, damage ear canal skin, and increase infection risk.

5. https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/are-q-tips-dangerous/ (Trust Score 7/10)

- A health provider emphasizes that cotton swabs can cause more harm than benefit when used inside the ear canal.

All these sources consistently agree that using Q-tips inside the ear canal is unsafe and can lead to infections, injuries, and hearing problems, supporting the information to stop using Q-tips for ear cleaning and seek safer methods instead.