Disadvantages of Removing Ear Wax: You have probably heard 100 times how you can effectively remove ear wax by using a candle. Just like many of you, when I came to know about ‘ear candling’, I immediately felt repelled by this whole thing. That was the first time I gave more than a passing thought to earwax accumulation, and for me, the details were quite surprising.

What is ear wax? 

Ear wax production is the nastier trait of the human body. Yellow-colored substance residing in our ear canal is known as earwax or cerumen. Contrary to its name, ear wax is not a wax; despite its waxy texture, ear wax is made up of oily secretions of the ear, skin cells, sweat, dirt, etc. Ear wax can be of two different types found differently among geographically isolated people.

Just like your other body secretion, your earwax is a significant health indicator of your body. Not only the texture but the colour of your ear wax can tell a lot about you. I remember once my brother went to the ENT specialist in Karachi, complaining about brownish ear wax, and was later diagnosed with a bleeding injury.

Why is earwax removal not a good practice? 

Apart from all our other body secretions, ear wax is the secretion that induces the constant need to clean our ears again and again. Whether you use cotton swabs or a backer of ear candling, you should know why removing ear wax can be bad for you. The following article enlists some of the many convincing reasons for not removing your ear wax.

You don’t need to clean a cleaner

Ear wax may feel like a nuisance, but it’s not. Yes! You hear it right; the waxy substance in your ear is a natural cleaning agent. Ear wax, made from ear glands, acts as a natural cleaning solution for your year. The sticky substance hinders the entry of dirt and debris inside your ear and pushes it outside during chewing, yawning, and taking action.

Also Read: Importance Of Nasal Hygiene

Cleaning the ear wax using a swab or any other object can let you reverse the cleaning process of ear wax and push it further into the ear canal, resulting in more significant problems.

Ear wax is your first line of defense

Apart from cleaning, ear wax plays another significant role inside your ear- that’s protection. The ear wax composition is specific for your ears. The waxy substance help to improve the following functions inside your body;

• Ear wax has antimicrobial properties and can limit the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi inside your ear.
• Our ears appear hollow tubes, and many insects can try to enter the ear canal. However, ear wax acts as an insect repellent and prevents insect entrance.
• Apart from these, ear wax acts as a lubricant that helps to keep our ear canal moisturized.

Ear wax can affect our hearing

Unlike your expectations, air wax removal can end up as a bigger problem. When you try to push ear wax using a foreign object, you end up pushing it deeper. Multiple pushing attempts can make the soiled ear wax impacted down the ear canal and result in hearing problems.

Ear wax production is different for everyone. I can relate to a typical incident when my uncle was detected with some ear wax problems at Liaquat national hospital in Karachi due to inappropriately wearing hearing aids for more extended periods.

Ear wax cleaning accidents are common

Even though ear wax cleaning isn’t recommended, we still witness multiple cleaning accidents on a routine basis. These cases include careless attempts to remove ear wax at both parent’s and children’s end. Besides this, the conventional practice of ear candling results in burning injuries and wax impaction. Apart from these, puncturing the eardrum is another consequence associated with poor wax cleaning practices.

Conclusion

Ear wax is beneficial for your ears and has numerous benefits. It acts as a natural lubricant and has antimicrobial properties. There is no proven reason to clean your ears repeatedly; however, if you feel an urge to clean your ears repeatedly, make sure you’re doing it correctly. Otherwise, you can go to the correct physician and can follow the healthy ear wax cleaning approaches.