www.safetyissues.com: Should Earwax Be Removed?

Should Earwax Be Removed?
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Staff writer for safetyissues.com on 08/31/08 12:27:00
 
Earwax, also known clinically as cerumen, performs important functions —
cleaning, lubricating, and protecting your ears. It also has antimicrobial
properties to further protect the ears from infections. It is not evil stuff by
nature, as many people may think. Thus it should not be removed merely because
it is present in your ears.
This is a message that doctors hope will not fall on deaf ears.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery Foundation
recently issued guidelines on the proper removal of earwax. The guidelines
address two important concerns: the determination of the appropriate conditions
that indicate earwax should be removed, and the provision of information on the
best methods for removing earwax.
Cerumen is a mixture of a watery substance produced by tiny glands in the
ear’s outer canal combined with bits of hair and dead skin. The earwax is
slowly nudged out of your ear canal by the constant flow of fluid from the
glands plus movement of your jaw as you speak or chew food. Moving out, it
carries away dirt, dust and other particles.
When this continuous flow is disturbed, or when you insert cotton swabs (or
other objects such as matchsticks or bobby pins) into the ear, the earwax can
form a lump and block portions of the ear canal. A cotton swab can push excess
wax into your ear.
The flow is also disrupted by the common habit of wearing earplugs for various
reasons, such as they need to use hearing aids or they just can’t do without
listening to music on their MP3 player. These can also cause the wax to build up
instead of trekking out.
The result is that about 12 million people in the U.S. need medical attention
each year to remove impacted ear wax. Hearing loss (which fortunately can be
reversed) can result when cerumen blocks at least 80 percent of the diameter of
your ear canal.
Safety tips:
* Get your ears cleaned at least once a year by a healthcare professional. This
is especially important if you wear a hearing aid. Damage could happen not only
to your ear but also to your hearing aid device.
* Avoid using cotton-tipped swabs, oral jet irrigators and ear candling. Ear
candling does not remove any built-up wax at all, and it might even burn your
outer ear.