What is earwax?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:Are you like the 85 percent of respondents to an Oprah.com poll who said they use cotton swabs to clean their ears? Dr. Oz, Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, says you may as well be "taking a muzzle-loader and shoving it in there."
"Wax is the sweat that the body deposits in the ear lining," he says. "When our ancestors were walking along in the sub-Saharan desert, the dust would get caught like an insect trap and prevent it from getting into your eardrum. When you take this cotton swab and you start shoving that wax into your eardrum, you risk not only blocking off the pathway, but you also risk perforating-making a hole-in your eardrum which is just a millimeter thick."
If you have an excessive buildup of earwax and want to get rid of it, Dr. Oz suggests using "a little mineral oil, drop it in there, it will melt it, and it will come out by itself. You don't have to go plunging in there."
So what are you supposed to be using those cotton swabs in your medicine cabinet for anyway? "Taking off makeup," Dr. Oz says.Are you like the 85 percent of respondents to an Oprah.com poll who said they use cotton swabs to clean their ears? Dr. Oz, Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, says you may as well be "taking a muzzle-loader and shoving it in... More -
Dr. Eliza Parker of MDLIVE answered:Earwax is great stuff! The medical term for earwax is cerumen. Cerumen is made up of skin cells and a waxy substance produced by little cells in the ear canal called sebaceous glands and modified sweat glands. Earwax is made to protect the skin lining of the ear canal and helps the ear clean itself, it also protects against water, some bacteria and some fungus! While too much earwax can interfere with hearing and needs to be cleaned out by a health care professional this is the exception, not the rule. In general most people make just the right amount of earwax for their ears and frequent removal is not necessary!Earwax is great stuff! The medical term for earwax is cerumen. Cerumen is made up of skin cells and a waxy substance produced by little cells in the ear canal called sebaceous glands and modified sweat glands. Earwax is made to protect the skin... More -
Healthwise answered:Earwax is a naturally produced secretion that protects the ear canal. It is a mixture of skin, sweat, hair and debris (such as shampoo and dirt) held together with a fluid secreted by glands inside the ear canal (ceruminous glands).
The ear canals are self-cleaning. Earwax helps filter dust and keep the ears clean and is usually eliminated from the ear naturally. Normally, earwax is a self-draining liquid that does not cause problems.
Earwax is a naturally produced secretion that protects the ear canal. It is a mixture of skin, sweat, hair and debris (such as shampoo and dirt) held together with a fluid secreted by glands inside the ear canal (ceruminous glands). The ear... More
