Picking out earwax is fun and relaxing, but I advise you not to do it casually

Author: Zeng Xinyue Popular Science Writer

Reviewer: Chen Gang, Chief Physician, Department of Otolaryngology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University

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Regular earwax removal can keep the ear canal clean and make people less likely to get ear canal-related diseases.

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Conclusion first: Don't do this! It may cause ear canal health problems.

Many people like to pick their ears when they have nothing to do, and they may feel a sense of satisfaction when they see the large pieces of earwax they pick out... In fact, these "unpresentable" things such as picking ears, picking noses, and picking toes are all hidden human nature, and it is normal to like doing them.

But do you know why it feels good to clean your ears? Why do you have so much earwax in your ears? What is its use? What are the harms of frequent ear cleaning? What is the correct way to clean your ears? Yesterday, March 3, was Ear Care Day. Let's answer these questions.

Why does cleaning your ears feel so good?

For ear-cleaning enthusiasts, cleaning ears is a very pleasant experience. The reason for the "pleasure" is that there is a long vagus nerve in the ear canal, and the skin of the external ear canal is also rich in peripheral nerves . Therefore, when we put our little finger, ear pick or cotton swab into the ear canal and gently rotate it, when these nerve endings are touched, a pleasant pleasure will be generated. Although this pleasure is "superficial", it is really addictive.

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Not only that, cleaning ears is also something that can bring a sense of accomplishment. When we finally get a lump of old earwax out after going through so much hardship and effort, the huge sense of accomplishment is even ecstatic. It is said that some people will carefully treasure the old earwax, take it out from time to time to take a look, and relish the feeling of "soul sublimation" at that time...

Although earwax is "shit", it is useful "shit"

What is earwax made of, which carries so much pleasure and sense of accomplishment for humans?

In fact, "earwax" has a special medical name: " cerumen " (dīng níng). It is different from the excrement coming out of the anus, it is a useful "shit"!

As a waxy metabolic waste secreted by the sebaceous glands and cerumen glands in the external auditory canal, earwax is mainly composed of keratin, and also contains fatty acids, alcohols, squalene, cholesterol, dust, dandruff and other substances.

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Generally speaking, earwax is divided into two categories: **dry earwax and "wet earwax" . Most people in China have dry earwax. Dry earwax is like a thin film that covers the skin of the external auditory canal. It has the function of lubrication and moisturizing, protecting the skin from water stains, infection, trauma, and foreign body damage. A small number of people have wet earwax, which is sticky, thick, and soft like oil. It can intercept bacteria, dust, small flies, and mites that enter the ear canal, and protect the external auditory canal and eardrum. Certain components in earwax, such as lysozyme and immunoglobulin, can also inhibit the growth of fungi and bacteria in the ear canal. **

So, although earwax is a "metabolic waste", it still has some practical uses.

Earwax will "slip away" on its own, so there is no need to force it out.

Seeing that earwax is so good, you should be reluctant to remove it, right? In fact, the external auditory canal has the function of self-drainage and self-cleaning. When dry earwax reaches a certain point, you don't need to drive it away, it will "say goodbye" to you on its own. When we turn our heads, turn over, open our mouths, and chew, earwax will slip out of our ears inadvertently.

However, there are a very small number of people whose earwax will gather in the ear canal and block the external auditory canal. This situation is called "earwax embolism", which is also commonly known as "iron earwax". Earwax embolism can cause hearing loss, ear stuffiness, ear leakage, tinnitus, dizziness and other symptoms. At this time, we need to go to the hospital to solve this stubborn earwax.

Often pick your ears, be careful not to harm them

Although cleaning your ears can bring some "pleasure" and "sense of accomplishment", it's okay to do it occasionally, and don't be greedy.

1. First of all, the more you dig out your earwax, the more it will accumulate.

Every gland in the human body is "loyal to its duty". The sebaceous glands and cerumen glands in the ear canal are responsible for secreting earwax and protecting the external auditory canal. If you remove them, they will secrete new secretions to protect the ear canal. And when the earwax is "updated", the external auditory canal may feel dry and cause itching .

2. Don’t be too confident in your ear cleaning skills

The skin of the external auditory canal is very thin and more delicate than you can imagine. Whether you use your fingers, ear picks or cotton swabs to remove earwax, if you use a little more force, it is possible to damage the skin of the external auditory canal , causing bacterial or fungal infections, pain, itching and even pus discharge. If you are nervous or excited and your hands are shaking, and the tools hurt the eardrum or ossicles, it will be even more troublesome.

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3. Be careful of accumulation

When we clean our ears, we may inadvertently push some earwax deeper into the ear canal, causing it to accumulate near the eardrum. If water enters the ear at this time, the earwax bubbles will swell, compressing the eardrum, causing dizziness, tinnitus, and a sudden decrease in hearing. Then you think it's time to clean your ears, and the situation will get worse.

4. Don’t clean children’s ears

Parents should not clean their children's ears by themselves, especially young children. If they suddenly struggle, accidents are more inevitable.

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Earwax clogs your ears? Go see a professional doctor!

If there is really too much earwax in your ear canal, blocking it and affecting your hearing, or if your ear canal is itchy and pus is coming out and you really need to clean your ears, what should you do?

It is still not recommended that you clean your ears yourself. You must go to a regular medical institution for treatment! It is really not that easy to clean your ears, even if you use an ear cleaning tool with a searchlight. No matter how powerful these small tools are, they cannot be compared with medical-grade equipment. At the same time, it is not recommended that you go to an ear cleaning shop to find a technician to handle it, because no matter how skilled the technician is, his technique, strength, understanding of ear structure and professionalism in using tools cannot be compared with that of a professional doctor.

A professional otolaryngologist will use professional tools and methods to flush the external auditory canal, such as using a forehead mirror or an otoscope to see the situation inside the ear canal clearly, and carefully use tweezers or cerumen hooks to remove the earwax; for earwax in the form of debris, or earwax that is very deep and close to the eardrum, the doctor will use a syringe to extract saline for flushing; for wet earwax, the doctor will use a negative pressure aspirator to suck it out; the doctor will also give you appropriate ear drops according to the degree of cerumen embolism to soften large pieces of dry and hard earwax before removing them.

How about it? Doctors have so many techniques. Don’t you want to enjoy the pleasure of ear cleaning brought by a professional doctor?

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Author: Zeng Xinyue, a popular science writer

Reviewer: Chen Gang, Chief Physician of Otolaryngology Department, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University

Editor: Ding Zong

The article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project. Please indicate the source when reprinting.

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