Earwax, also called cerumen, is made by the body to protect the ears. It has both lubricating and anti-bacterial properties, the old wax is moved through the ear canal by jaw motions like chewing where it reaches outside of the ear and flakes off. Earwax buildup can happen to anyone, estimated to be present in about 10% of children and 5% of adults who are healthy. On it's own ear wax isn't bad as designed to help keep your ears from getting infected. However, if it builds up it can cause problems by irritating your ears and preventing you from hearing well. It's only safe to clean the outside of the ears and to use drops or water to soften earwax. you should always contact your healthcare provider to remove earwax using an instrument.
In this video, Dr Rajesh Bhardwaj talks all about earwax and ways to handle it under various circumstances by answering below questions
- What is earwax?
- When does earwax becomes impacted?
- What are possible complications of earwax buildup and blockage?
- What are the symptoms of earwax adverse effects?
- How is earwax buildup and blockage treated?
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