Infact
36 / 100
Mostly False Worldwide

Every year, over 300,000 people worldwide lose their hearing due to improper use of cotton swabs.

Infact verdict: Mostly False (36/100).

The claim that over 300,000 people worldwide lose their hearing each year due to improper use of cotton swabs lacks direct evidence from any professional fact-check or specific studies related to this exact figure. Available web evidence highlights the potential dangers of using cotton swabs, including hearing loss, ear infections, and damage to the ear structures. However, no source confirms the specific number of 300,000 cases annually. Thus, the factScore is low due to the absence of direct corroboration for the numeric claim.

March 23, 2026 Language: en 1 claim analyzed
How is this score determined? →

Individual claims

36
Mostly False Health
Over 300,000 people worldwide lose their hearing every year due to improper use of cotton swabs.
The evidence shows that improper use of cotton swabs can cause hearing loss, but there is no substantiation for the specific figure of over 300,000 cases. Claims related to such a specific statistic require strong evidence or data which is currently lacking.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score 40
Web Consensus Weight 50
Source Quality Score 20
Source Quality Weight 25
Llm Reasoning Score 30
Llm Reasoning Weight 25
Weighted Total 36
Evidence Summary No direct fact-check. Web evidence shows risks of using cotton swabs but lacks specific annual figure.

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