Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Are you bothered by the idea of wax in your ear? If you are obsessed with getting rid of earwax, it is important to know that it has several benefits.
According to a tweet from the official account of King Saud Medical City on Twitter, earwax prevents dust and germs from entering the ear, and it also works to lubricate the auditory canal.
Cleaning the ear with cotton swabs or hard materials should be avoided, as this pushes the wax into the canal, causing it to accumulate and make hearing difficult.
In most cases of earwax blockage, the condition can be treated at home by wiping the ear with a piece of cloth.
The following materials can be used to soften wax:
- Baby oil
- glycerin
- water
Earwax consists of a substance called cerumen, which mixes with dirt and dust, and is usually produced by the body as a way to clean and protect the ear.
The usual jaw movements following talking and chewing, along with the growth of the skin inside the canal, help move the old wax from the inside to the outside of the ear, where it is washed off during bathing.
This self-cleaning process works well for most people. But in others, including 10% of children, 20% of adults, and 30% of adults and the disabled, earwax builds up until it completely blocks the ear canal.
The specialist can use an otoscope, a device that allows you to look inside the ear, to see if cerumen is blocking the ear canal.
Usually, earwax can be safely removed by diluting it with water, ear drops, or manual extraction using a device called a curette.
