Have an Earwax Problem?

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Have an Earwax Problem?

Whales never clean out their ears. Year after year their earwax builds up, leaving behind something of a life history told in fatty acids, alcohols, and cholesterols. The waxy substance builds in the ear canals of many mammals, including ourselves. Human earwax, on the other hand, is not nearly as interesting.

The proper name for the stuff is cerumen, and it's produced only by the outermost bit of the ear canal, thanks to one to two thousand sebaceous glands. Add some bits of hair, dead skin, and other bodily debris and you've got the recipe for earwax.

Its main function has long been thought to be primarily one of lubrication, which is why early lip balms were made of the stuff. It's also believed to be useful for preventing insects from creeping their way into the internal recesses of your head. But some suspect that earwax also functions as an antibiotic.

Whether you have wet or dry earwax is genetically determined, and it all comes down to a single letter on a single gene. The gene is called ABCC11, and if you've got an A instead of a G, then your earwax will be dry. Those of Caucasian or African descent are more likely to have wet earwax, while East Asians are more likely to harbor the dry, flaky variety inside their ears. The two types are seen at more balanced proportions among Pacific Islanders, in Central Asia and Asian Minor, and for Native Americans and the Inuit.

But the most pressing issue surrounding earwax, for most of us, is how to remove it. It's a question that has apparently plagued humanity since at least the first century CE. Today physicians might use almond oil or olive oil to soften impacted wax prior to attempting removal.

The truth is some folks do truly suffer earwax-related problems serious enough to warrant intervention. It can lead to hearing loss, tinnitus, and /or infection.

Because the risks of using a cotton swab are so high, often a softening agent is used, followed by manual removal using a tool called a curette, suction or irrigation, all depending on the consistency of the earwax.

Still, these procedures are best left to the professionals. Despite the risks, some folks defiantly shove cotton swabs into their ears after a shower knowing full well that physicians recommend against that sort of behavior. A vigorous swabbing risks perforating the ear drum, or pushing the earwax further into the ear. Sometimes, the cotton at the end of the swab can come off, remaining lodged inside the ear canal.

Something else to be absolutely avoided is a practice known as ear candling. In this practice, a hollow candle made of beeswax or paraffin is held up to the ear and set aflame. The idea is that the heat inside the empty candle draws earwax out of the ear canal, where it can be easily removed. There is absolutely no scientific proof to support this.