Of all the weird liquids our bodies produce, earwax has got to be one of the most useful yet misunderstood substances.
I did my research, dark earwax is not a bad thing. Dark earwax is older than the usual clear earwax you get. Earwax is our body’s way of protecting our ear canals from foreign invaders such as small parasites and bugs.
What are the possible reasons that our ears/bodies have for producing this weird substance?
Most doctors and or medical professionals may not yet understand these benefits, they are certain of this one fact it produced to protect.
To grasp these ideas a bit more clearly, here are some facts you may not have been aware of earwax and why you should read this article before wanting to remove it.
What is Earwax and why it’s produced
Earwax is so gross but it is just as useful and necessary, while most people’s natural instinct is to remove it as quickly as it is produced we suggest holding off until you know the facts about this amazing substance and why it is produced.
The proper term/name for earwax is cerumen It was too difficult to say for some thus earwax was born, this is a natural substance produced by our bodies if you are wondering why ear wax is beneficial. here are a few facts:
Earwax as a protection
Earwax is the natural buffer that helps to prevent dirt and bacteria from finding a way into the innermost parts of your ears and causing damage like hearing loss.
It is a sticky substance, it gathers all the microscopic particles that have a nasty habit of making a home inside the ear canal and then which makes its way through your ear canal, think of earwax as type flypaper that when strategically placed traps insects.
Without this barrier in place, our inner ears would run the risk of being infected and vulnerable.
Earwax prevents infections
It acts as a natural and protective lubricant for the ear canal. Without this protective coating of earwax, the outer ear might be flaky and a bit itchy, there is a then greater risk for becoming inflamed and possibly infected.
Physical barrier
The outdoor of your earwax prevents bugs from getting too close, while the sticky viscosity ensures that the ones that accidentally come inside are then trapped and can do no further damage. Besides Earwigs, those critters eat our earwax and love the warm coziness of our ear canals.
What does your earwax color say about you
Even though almost everyone’s ears make earwax. Its type varies from one person to the next. The color and consistency say a lot about your health.
Even the color of your earwax says more about you, dark earwax means that you don’t take great care of your ears. it gets its color from the dirt and debris it has proceeded to trap. Adult males or females have darker earwax.
- Dark brown earwax with red tinge may suggest a bleeding injury. If this is the case seek medical help as it could lead to a more serious issue.
- Light brown, this color is found in young kids and teens orange or yellow earwax is the most common and normal type that you get. Children and teens have a softer, lighter-colored wax.
- White, yes you get white earwax too, it also tends to be flaky in nature which suggests your body has no odor-producing chemical. Dark-colored, sticky earwax suggests you have an overabundance of this chemical and should probably start to use deodorant.
Our weird bodies
Our bodies know how much earwax to produce is that not incredible. As long as you remain healthy and eat correctly and make sure you practice good hygiene.
Heres a fun fact you probably were not aware of moving your jaw (chewing and talking), helps signal your body to produce excess earwax, Which would not allow dirt and bacteria in your ears without any consequence.
Make a habit of removing excess earwax, this will then send a signal to your body to produce more as your ears are now unprotected.
If you over clean your ears you run the risk of creating an excess that can inhibit your hearing and then put you at a higher risk for developing ear infections and other complications that may require surgical treatment.
Stress and or fear can also expedite earwax volumes. That’s because the same gland which produces the sweat of our bodies’ main signaling system also produces the earwax. Other circumstances where an excess of earwax is produced include these:
- People with an excess of hair in their ear canals. This mainly affects men.
- Those who suffer from bad ear infections could be anyone as there are a number of circumstances that could lead to this outcome.
- People, who have abnormal ear canals or osteomata this case is a rare one only a handful of people suffer from this condition If you suspect you may be one do not hesitate to contact your local Doctor and get it looked at.
- The elderly, as you age your body goes through these intense periods of change one of these things is your hearing and or eyesight.
- Those that suffer from certain skin ailments.
- Even those that might have learning disabilities. Sounds crazy right but earwax production has been linked to certain cases of learning difficulties.
How to safely clean your ears
Although earwax has its merits too much of it can cause a host of issues such as blockages which can cause hearing loss.
The symptoms usually are a heavy sensation of stuffiness in and around your ears, an inner itchy feeling in your ear muffled or inaudible tones if you experience any of the above know that earwax is the cause.
Don’t use an earbud, grip or any sharp implement to attempt to clean your ears
Doing so puts you at risk to push the earwax further into the ear canal where it cannot be dealt with naturally, worse than that you could even puncture your eardrum.
Our ears are sensitive and require the utmost care to ensure they are properly functioning.
Don’t try candling
Candling I am sure you have heard of it, using a candle that is burning placed in the ear to collect the earwax.
This method has had no proven success.
This method is extremely dangerous. just a few of the side effects are burns, wax blockage, punctured eardrums, and serious damage.
Your ears are cleaning sufficient
If you still feel dirty every time you see earwax in your ear there are a few ways that you can safely clean your ears and I will list the proper ear cleaning methods so you can be squeaky clean all over.
Use a warm soapy facecloth
Use a warm soapy facecloth to get into those hard to reach crevices. Allow the warm water from your daily shower/bath to flow into/around your ears every once in a while is probably more than enough to loosen the excess earwax.
Ear cleaning kit
If you have healthy ears and have no medical issues such as tubes or eardrum perforations, you can clear excess earwax yourself by using an ear cleaning kit. Ask your local pharmacist about them and best practices for use.
Visit a doctor
Have you had your hearing tested yearly by a hearing healthcare professional?
Ask your family doctor for a referral, or search for an online directory that will help you to find hearing clinics near you.
They will be advising you on your hearing health, they will also be able to find if you are suffering from excess earwax and they can then safely proceed to get rid of it.
Seek a doctor immediately if your home methods have not to help or if you have a sudden bout of hearing loss if there is intense pain and or bleeding.
Conclusion
We need to take better care of our bodies in general. Our ears are most important they help keep us calibrated and moving in an upward position.
Our ears are sensitive for a reason as they detect danger even before we know there is a problem. This is one of our most needed and recommended tools to ensure our survival.
Propper ear care and knowledge thereof can save us many expensive trips to the doctor. We need to take our health into greater consideration and trust our bodies and their signals.
The list I have put together is to show you that it is possible and necessary to visit your doctor to get yourself checked out before it becomes a real issue that requires medical intervention.
Self-checks can also be done using this complied list and checking off your specific symptoms. Note: that we would prefer it if you saw a trained medical professional as this is what they know.
Only if that is not an option they do the self-check but if any negative symptoms are found seek medical help immediately as it could prevent further injury and or damage!
