What is ear wax?

Officially known as cerumen, earwax serves as a vital protective substance naturally produced by your body. Its primary function is to safeguard your eardrums and the delicate lining of the ear canal. Secreted by glands within the ear canal, earwax is not something that should always be removed, and it's crucial to comprehend why.

Earwax's purpose extends beyond merely blocking your ears and causing inconvenience to your headphones. This sticky, oily substance plays a crucial role in entrapping any dust, dirt, and debris that might find its way into your ears, effectively keeping them away from the sensitive eardrum. This protective action even extends to safeguarding against small foreign objects and, in some unfortunate cases, even creepy crawlies.

Moreover, there are different types of earwax. Surprisingly, your ancestral origins play a significant role in determining the type of earwax you produce. Essentially, there are two kinds: wet and dry earwax. The presence of wet earwax is attributed to a dominant gene, while dry earwax is associated with a recessive gene. Consequently, in regions where the population predominantly has dry earwax, like in East Asia, individuals living there will likely continue to have dry earwax. However, if these same people were to relocate to other parts of the world, the dry earwax gene may eventually diminish and be replaced by the dominant wet earwax gene in future generations.

Ear wax removal is generally done by the safest method which is microsuction.

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