It’s sticky. It’s shiny. But what is earwax, anyway – and where does it come from?
Earwax is made in the outer ear canal. This is the area between the fleshy part of the ear on the outside of your head (the part you can see) and the middle ear. The skin in the outer ear canal has special glands that produce earwax. The fancy name for this waxy stuff is cerumen.
After the wax is produced, it slowly makes its way through the outer ear canal to the opening of the ear. Then it either falls out or is removed when you wash. In most people, the outer ear canal makes earwax all the time, so the canal always has enough wax in it.
So why do we need wax? Earwax has several important jobs. First, it protects and moisturizes the skin of ear canal, preventing dry, itchy ears. Second, it contains special chemicals that fight off infections that could hurt the skin inside the ear canal. Finally, it acts as a shield between the outside world and the eardrum. When dust, dirt, and other things enter your ear, the earwax traps them so they can’t travel any further.
If you want to get rid of earwax, here’s what you need to do: nothing! The ears are designed to be self-cleaning. However,we know wax can get stuck as we do so may micro suction procedures, and this can be caused by anything from narrow ear canals, excess hair in the ears or even using a cotton bud. A wax blockage can be uncomfortable and cause a lack of hearing, so please contact us for help!
You can wipe the outside of your ear with acloth but don’t use a cotton bud, your finger, or anything else to poke around inside your ear to remove earwax! Your ear canal and eardrum are very delicate, and you may hurt them or cause bleeding by trying to get rid of wax this way. Poking around in your ear can also push and pack the wax in further![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
