What’s With Earwax? Are My Ears Dirty?

I get this question a lot!  Everyone builds up earwax differently but believe it or not, earwax is a normal healthy secretion of the ear.  The technical term for earwax is cerumen. Cerumen actually provides several key benefits to our ears. It naturally moistures our ear and keeps it from getting too dry and itchy.  It also can trap dirt and debris from getting too deep into our ears. Remarkably, cerumen even serves as a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent to keep our ear canals free from infection (see Lum CL, et al.  Antibacterial and antifungal properties of human cerumen. J Laryngol Otol. 2009;123:375–378).

However, with all the benefits of ear wax, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.  Cerumen can build-up to the point where it blocks sound and airflow into the ear.  How we manage excess cerumen though is extremely important.  It is very easy to damage the ear through incorrect removal.  The biggest notorious method of cerumen removal is using Q-tips. The problem with Q-tips are that they can push the wax deeper into the canal. Excess use of Q-tips also strips the canal of all the good amounts lining the canal. This leaves the ear canal exposed and dry which is the number one cause for itchy and dry ears in most patients.  The rule of thumb you may have heard is to not stick anything larger than your elbow in your ear! This really is a good guideline to follow. I have seen examples where accidental motion have caused either a Q-tip or bobby pin to go too deep in the ear, causing significant and at times irreparable damage.

So what should we do about the wax in our ears?? First and foremost, typically just leave it alone! As already mentioned, ear wax serves a healthy purpose for the ears.  If you do tend to build up excessive ear wax however, the best method I recommend is using room temperature water.  Usually the pressure from a gently squeeze of a bulb syringe is enough to move any excess wax out.  Sometimes wax softening drops can also help beforehand to ease the process.  They can be found over-the-counter and carbamide peroxide is the main ingredient. Another great method is to see your friendly local audiologist.  We are more than happy to look at your ear and determine if removal needs to take place. The heart of Audiology Associates is education and we would love to see you in person if you have further questions or concerns about your ears!