Ear Wax Facts
Ear wax, medically known as cerumen is waxy material produced by glands inside the ear and its purpose is to protect our ears by trapping dirt and repelling water. It keeps the skin in our ear canal healthy, preventing it from drying and cracking. It also helps to prevent infections from bacteria and fungi.
The Ear Canal
Our ear canals are self-cleaning. As we move our jaw to eat and talk, the wax and skin cells move slowly from the eardrum to the outer ear where it naturally falls out.
Excess Ear Wax
Excess or compacted cerumen is the buildup of ear wax causing a blockage in the ear canal and it can press against the eardrum or block the outside ear canal or hearing aids, potentially causing hearing loss.
Microsuction
"Microsuction involves the use of a vacuum suction probe to break up and extract impacted cerumen. Microsuction can be preferred over other methods as it avoids the presence of moisture in the ear, is often faster than irrigation, and is performed with direct vision of the earwax being removed" [J Radford]
Using a cotton swab
Cotton swabs, on the other hand, push most of the earwax farther into the ear canal and remove only a small portion of the top layer of wax that happens to adhere to the fibers of the swab.