Everything You Need to Know About Earwax

Earwax is something all of us deal with but most of us don't know a lot about. For instance, did you know:

• Earwax is actually good for years. The yellow, gooey stuff stops dirt, dust, bugs, and other stuff from getting very far into your ear canal. It also stops bacteria from getting into your ear to prevent infection.
• It's not a good idea to put anything inside your ear, not even a Q-tip (and certainly not candle wax). Pointy objects in your ears are absolutely to be avoided. Even a cotton swab can force wax into your ear canal where it can harden, necessitating earwax removal by a doctor to undo an ear blockage.

• Even if you can see earwax, don't remove it. Earwax is gross, but it is protective. Unless it is dark brown, flaky, or bloody, leave it alone, and even in those cases, go see a doctor. Don't remove it on your own.
• Your outer ear, the 3 cm (1-1/4 inch) canal from the visible opening of the ear canal leading into your middle ear, makes earwax. This canal is lined with skin that produces the wax. The skin lining your two ear canals contains up to 2,000 specialized sweat glands that release cerumen, also known as ear wax.
• Like a self-cleaning, your ears are actually self-cleaning. Every time you chew, your ears push some wax out of the canal to the surface of the ear, where it dries and falls off. If you have a problem with earwax buildup, try chewing gum.
• Just say no to ear candling. An ear candle is a hollow cone with a wick. You stick one end of the cone in your ear, and light the wick on the other end. The heat is supposed to melt the wax that has built up in your ear canal. There is black waxy material inside the candle after you use it on your ears; however, this comes from the wick, not from your ear. However, it's possible to drip hot wax into your ear, causing a burn inside your ear, and some people have punctured their eardrums with this method. It's just never a good idea to stick anything inside your ear.
• If just have to remove a buildup of earwax, skip suction devices for removing pimples and water picks for cleaning your teeth. Instead, mix equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide and clean tap water and put five drops in your ear before you go to bed. If this doesn't break up the ear wax, go to see your doctor, who has special instruments to remove excess ear wax.

READ Home Remedies for Clogged Ears

• Earwax can be especially problematic when you have eczema. Remember, the lining of your outer ear canal is skin. Eczema can affect this area like any other skin. Flaky skin can mix with wax and form an ear blockage that can be a challenge to remove.
• People of different racial origins have different kinds of earwax. Caucasians and Africans (and African-Americans) have earwax that is brown, sticky, and moist. Asians have earwax that is gray or tan, dryer, and brittle, due to different amounts of fatty acids in the wax.

What To Expect When You Have to Go to the Doctor for Earwax Removal

Removing earwax is a surprisingly large part of what the specialized doctors known as otolaryngologists do. It's impossible to evaluate hearing loss or to fit a hearing aid if the ear canal is blocked by wax. Earwax removal is essential before ear surgery. Children who have ear infections have to have the wax removed before the doctor can evaluate their ear drums, and patients of any age who have eczema of the ear canal have to have the wax removed before they can be diagnosed and treated.

Some people shouldn't have earwax removed by particular methods:

• Patients who have had a mastoidectomy to remove infected cells from an ear infection that has spread to the skull have to be treated with special care.
• Irrigating the ear with warm water and/or hydrogen peroxide is contraindicated for anyone who has an active inner ear infection.
• Microsuction of the ear is usually contraindicated for patients who have had tinnitus.
• Any time the doctor cannot see the structures in the ear, removing wax is to be avoided.
• Children (and adults) who can't cooperate with the doctor usually mean the doctor cannot remove earwax. Sometimes the doctor is able to let a child under the age of eight feel the suction device to get over any fear of it, but most children just aren't ready for having a "vacuum cleaner" take the wax out of their ears.

Sometimes the problem isn't really earwax, it's infection. When people do their own earwax removal with keys, pencils, fingernails, toothpicks, or a vigorously applied Q-tip, two unfortunate things happen. The sticky, acidic earwax that usually traps bacteria is no longer present, and tiny cracks and cuts in the skin lining the ear canal admit microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococci. This problem is common in swimmer's who remove earwax with unapproved methods; the resulting infection swimmer's ear can required antibiotic treatment for several weeks for complete resolution.

READ Bulb Syringes Are an Effective Tool for Earwax Removal

If you have to have earwax removed, these precautions can help you get well a lot faster:

• Don't be stoic. Let your doctor know when removing ear wax causes pain. Sometimes the doctor cannot see an abrasion, a cut, or an area of infection. A "grin and bear it" attitude may cause the doctor to make a preventable mistake during earwax removal.
• Expect to feel some pressure on your face during earwax extraction. Working on the front side of the ear canal makes it easier for the doctor to see what he or she is doing.
• Earwax cleaning doesn't always have to be meticulous. You may need thorough removal of cerumen if you have an ear infection, but not if you are just getting fitted for a hearing aid.
• Don't wait to see the doctor. The sooner you get the earwax removal you need, the easier it will be. Wax can become compacted with dead skin and exudates from infection if left unattended. Two weeks is a "long time" to wait to get treatment for earwax.