You most likely don’t give a lot of thought to earwax buildup unless you’re in the process of clearing it out. Still, it’s crucial to have an understanding of its purpose and how it forms.
What triggers the accumulation of earwax?
Earwax, technically identified as cerumen, is a thick blend of debris, hair, skin particles, sweat, and ceruminous gland secretions. This earwax presents with a waxy texture and can show shades of orange, yellow, gray, or brown.
While the production amount of earwax varies from person to person, adults typically produce less earwax than children. Furthermore, adult earwax is usually darker and harder compared to that of kids.
Earwax gets expelled or washed out after going by the outer ear canal and reaching the opening of the ear.
Why is earwax important?
Earwax serves several crucial functions, such as:
- Fending off potential infections that might develop within the ear canal.
- Acting as a protective barrier against external irritants including dirt, dust, and other foreign particles before they infiltrate deeper into the ear.
- Protecting and lubricating the skin lining the ear canal, thereby preventing dryness and itchiness.
Blockages caused by earwax
Usually, there’s no critical need to clean out earwax from your ears unless it becomes impacted, a common issue associated with earwax. In some cases, earwax is unable to easily get to the opening of the ear due to narrow or abnormally shaped ear canals.
Wax can be unintentionally pushed up into the ear canal by utilizing improper cleaning methods like using cotton swabs.
People grappling with hearing loss who use earplugs or hearing aids are also susceptible to experiencing ear canal blockages.
How is hearing impacted by too much earwax?
Auditory health might be impeded and you might feel minor discomfort.
Ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, might also happen.
Acoustic trauma may lead to long-term hearing loss, perforated eardrums, and long-term hearing loss if earwax blockages go ignored.
How do you tackle impacted wax?
It’s crucial that you get in touch with us as soon as you can if you think your ears may be blocked by earwax. You may be advised to use over-the-counter products such as a bulb syringe or earwax softening drops to clear the wax out, depending on the severity of the obstruction.
Give us a call right away if you need some assistance with an earwax obstruction.
