![]() If an insect does enter the ear canal, it will become caught in the earwax and expelled from the ear along with other unwanted particles.) (Fun fact: the smell of earwax also repels small insects who attempt to fly or crawl into the ear. As old earwax and debris moves out of the ear canal and flakes off, new earwax moves in to begin the process anew. (Think of it as the ear’s natural trash collector.) The cycle of motion is further assisted by jaw movements that occur while we’re talking or chewing. #IMPACTED EAR WAX SKIN#As skin cells inside the ear grow and shift, the earwax travels with them through the ear canal, picking up dead skin cells, hairs, and other particles along the way. While earwax is designed to coat the ear canal, it was not intended to stay there. Researchers have found several antimicrobial peptides in ear wax which, when combined, increase their strength and effectiveness. Earwax also has a slightly acidic composition, which repels fungus and bacteria that would otherwise be attracted to the dark, moist atmosphere of the inner ear. While it might look dirty, earwax serves as a cleanser and creates a barrier to protect the ear canal against injury, infection, water, and foreign objects. And people who are older or wear hearing aids are at a significantly higher risk of developing impacted earwax.Įarwax (clinical name cerumen) is an oily, waxy discharge secreted by tiny sebaceous and sweat glands in the outer part of the ear canal. Impacted earwax, the term for when too much earwax builds in the ear canal, can result in serious medical issues, including permanent hearing loss. Because while earwax plays an important role in overall ear health, too much of it can be a bad – even dangerous - thing. Then again, there’s no reason to spend too much time pondering this mild, mostly unseen body secretion, is there? We know earwax serves a purpose, but we might be a little fuzzy on the details. When was the last time you thought about earwax? Last month? Last year? Maybe you’ve never really thought about it, beyond knowing it’s there: that yellowish, sticky substance we find on the cotton swab after cleaning our ears. ![]()
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