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There are certain questions that make us wonder. These mysteries certainly have a way of keeping life interesting.

For us, there is the age-old question regarding cotton balls inside of the aspirin bottle. Whenever we have a headache, it is a query that always comes to mind. This is especially true when we are seeking rapid relief. Each second of pain feels like an eternity.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

No one wants a massive cotton ball to stand between them and their comfort. However, there is a good reason why this material is shoved into each bottle of aspirin. We were today years old when we learned about this one and we could not help but to pass it on. Best of all, this trend is slowly starting to die out, so you will not have to worry for much longer.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the cotton was originally placed in these bottles by Bayer at the turn of the 20th century. They were looking to take up extra space and keep the pills immobilized. Thanks to these cotton balls, the pills are kept from being crushed into smithereens as well. Once the 1980s rolled around, it was time for companies like Bayer to become more modern.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Instead of continuing to stuff each bottle with cotton balls, coated pills became more and more common. The coating for each pill keeps them from having a chance to disintegrate. The gel caps were also much less fragile, lessening the need for cotton balls inside of each bottle. The consumer was conditioned to expect the presence of the cotton ball, though.

That’s why they stayed in the bottle, even if they were not needed. Many customers believed that these balls kept their pills from being touched by those who wish to contaminate them. Others still think that the cotton balls are necessary in order for the pills to retain potency over the long haul. In other words, old habits die hard and tradition has a way of living on.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health recommends that we remove the cotton balls from the bottle so that we can prevent moisture from being pulled into them. In fact, the cotton that is placed in these bottles is not even cotton.

When we went to the Drug Information & Side Effects Database, we learned that these “cotton” balls are actually made out of polyester or rayon.

The more you know!