Never stick anything in your ears smaller than your elbow. We’ve all heard this advice, but what is earwax anyway?
By Lisa Kurak, Doctor of Audiology
Earwax is technically called cerumen. It isn’t really wax in the ‘candle wax’ sense. It is a sticky fluid secreted by cerumen glands – only in the skin of the ear canal. It is there to protect your ear canal and eardrum from foreign materials. Without it, the ear canal would be more susceptible to infection.
Cerumen is naturally nudged towards the opening of the ear as you talk or chew — an efficient self-cleaning system. All we have to do is remove earwax from the outer ear.
If we produce more earwax than we can naturally push out of our ear canals, problems can occur. Earwax can cause hearing loss when it blocks the ear canal. The wax acts like an earplug, blocking sound waves from reaching the eardrum. Not only can earwax interfere with hearing, it can also trap moisture, setting the stage for infections. Earwax blocking the ear canal needs attention from a trained professional.
Last but not least, let’s talk about using cotton swabs. It is safe to swab the outer portion of the ear. However, don’t use swabs in the ear canal! You risk scratching the sensitive skin in the ear canal, which may lead to infection. Also, attempting to remove earwax with swabs may pack it deeper. It is safer to let your ear canal do the work or see a professional.
If you are concerned about earwax, call SoundPoint today. It only takes a minute to examine your ears. With our video otoscope, you’ll be able to see the ear canal and eardrum yourself!
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