Earwax - its functions and meaning

The state of the earwax can tell us a lot: about the work of the body, the quality of the hearing, the functioning of the endocrine and sex glands. The ear canal is covered with small hairs, in other words, cilia. They do not allow dirt and dust to penetrate further. This is also promoted by earwax. Possessing remarkable bactericidal properties, it detains all the rubbing material coming from the external environment, and pushes it out. In addition, the dead epithelium from the ear canal is also excreted. At the moment when a person talks or eats, earwax itself is removed from the ear. The structure of the auricle contributes to the process of independent excretion of accumulation of secretion. Therefore, the ear does not need any special cleaning procedures. All that is needed is periodically rinsed with warm water outside the auricle.

Use of cotton swabs for cleaning is undesirable. In this way, sulfur can only be densified and, as a result, forms a cork. Using sharper objects, you risk damage to the eardrum. If you suspect that you have a sulfur plug, it's best to contact an otolaryngologist. There, with a special antiseptic solution, your ear will be washed.

The reasons why sulfur can be poorly removed from the ear canal, can be different: sinuous or narrow auditory canal, excessively thick sulfur, ear trauma and others. Determine them reliably in a state only by a doctor. Each of these causes can lead to the formation of a plug.

Do not get upset if you think that your earwax is formed in large numbers. Its excess can not serve as an alarming symptom of a health disorder. Rather, it can be regarded as a physiological feature. Nevertheless, if this happens, consult an experienced doctor, perhaps in this case you just need to go through the cleaning procedure more often. But do not try to conduct it by the home method, the results can be deplorable, especially if it concerns children.

It happens and vice versa: the ear sulfur disappears and practically does not stand out. This is an occasion to immediately visit the office of the ENT, because it speaks about the violation of the operation of the ear glands. In the inflammatory process, the sulfur becomes liquid and begins to discharge abundantly. There are pains in the ears. And in this case the doctor is necessary.

A healthy person should have a yellow-brown earwax. Its composition is a combination of fats, proteins, mineral salts and free fatty acids. A certain proportion of proteins are immunoglobulins performing a protective function. Sulfur glands are located in the outer ear. Their number reaches 2000, and monthly they allocate from 12 to milligrams of sulfur. Its pH is 4-5 and prevents the development of fungal and bacterial flora. The composition of the earwax is supplemented with sebum, dead epithelium, dust particles. The physiological function performed by sulfur is the protection and hydration of the skin of the external auditory canal.

If you notice that its color has changed, you should think about the causes of what is happening. Black-and-brown can simply say that it has accumulated a lot of dirt. But the black sulfur in his ears is clearly a disturbing sign. And the best thing is to take the material located in the external auditory canal, to study the microbial flora. Some types of fungal infection of the outer or middle ear can be characterized by a black coating due to the content of black films or spores in them. This disease (otomycosis) can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as: severe itching, a feeling of fullness of the ear, a decrease in hearing and even pain. Such a diagnosis is common among residents of the tropics and subtropics, among others in the period of high humidity, as well as among those who wear hearing aids or undergo radical mastoidectomy.

The entire purpose of earwax is not fully understood. It is considered, for example, that when sweating, this secretion begins to emit odors that play the role of pheromones. This is an unexpected property.

But whether it serves to moisturize, to purify or even to attract the opposite sex, one thing is unequivocal: sulfur is needed for the ears. And its presence in sufficient quantities, along with timely inference, speaks of the normal functioning of the ear glands.