Today’s topic: EAR WAX. You heard me. Or didn’t you because you have too much ear wax? Ear wax is nothing to be embarrassed about – in both humans and mammals, the body naturally secretes this waxy substance.
Ear wax actually has several important functions:
· Keep the ear canal lubricated
· Contains infection fighting material
· Protects the eardrum from anything that can get into the ear such as dust, dirt, etc.
If you accumulate an excess of earwax or have a blockage, your doctor can remove it with a special tool. It’s recommended that you do not try to do it yourself because the ear drum is very sensitive and can easily be punctured, or you can compact the ear wax even more and push it in further down the ear canal. As a general rule, you should not put anything in your ear that is smaller than your elbow. In other words, don’t put anything in your ear.
Excessive earwax can be a problem. There are several reasons why the body would produce more than normal amounts of ear wax:
· Genetics
· Ear infection
· Foreign objects in the ear (for example, hearing aids or headphones – your ear doesn’t know you willingly stuck a foreign object in your ear)
· Certain medications
If you have pain, hearing loss, itching in your ear or ringing, talk to your doctor. You may have impacted or excessive earwax. Or should I say:
IF YOU HAVE PAIN, HEARING LOSS, ITCHING IN YOUR EAR OR RINGING, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR! YOU MAY HAVE IMPACTED OR EXCESSIVE EARWAX!