Indeed, earwax acts as a protective lubricant that coats the ear canal, repelling water and preventing the skin from drying out. “When ears are making the right amount of wax, it’s actually the sign of a healthy ear,” says Anh Nguyen-Huynh, M.D., an ENT-otolaryngologist affiliated with Cleveland Clinic. Eventually, when the waxy mixture reaches the outside of the ear, it typically flakes off. Jaw movements, such as talking and chewing, help move things along.Įarwax on its own isn’t bad. “These secretions keep a flow going away from the eardrum toward the opening of the ear, catching dead skin cells, tiny hairs that line the ear canal and other types of microscopic debris along the way,” explains Mark Vaughan, M.D., a family physician and medical director at Auburn Medical Group in Auburn, California. A small amount of earwax regularly migrates from deep in the ear canal to the outside of the ear - acting as a kind of conveyor belt - carrying a lot of bad stuff along with it. So what, exactly, is this stuff? Well, earwax - the medical term is cerumen - is a waxy oil secreted by the tiny sebaceous and sweat glands that line the walls of the outer ear canal. Knowing how to control that gunk will allow you to hear better and prevent infections, earaches and more. If you still have any concerns, you will be able to discuss them with the specialist at the London ENT clinic before you have the treatment.It may be something icky that you’d rather not think about, but earwax is a perfectly normal bodily secretion and a fact of life. However, microsuction is a much safer and gentler procedure than the older technique of ear syringing. Ear syringing risked harming the eardrum and could cause other problems when there was an infection. You might be a bit anxious about having your earwax cleared by a doctor if you have had problems after getting your ears syringed in the past.
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