by J. Lewis Romett, MD
Earwax, or cerumen, is a substance that is normally made by the skin of the ear canal. Cerumen protects the ear canal and the eardrum from infection and trauma. There is a normal migration of the skin of the eardrum and ear canal from deep to the external auditory meatus or opening on the side of the head. A drop of ink that’s placed on the eardrum will migrate through the external canal to the ear canal opening in a period of three to six weeks. As the skin migrates, foreign bodies such as dirt and hair are caught in the earwax and are removed from the ear canal.
The ear canal, therefore, is self cleaning. Most people can just wipe the outside of the ear canal with a washcloth to keep wax from accumulating. Using foreign objects such as Q-Tips will cause the edge of the earwax to turn on itself and the ear canal will then fill up with cerumen.
Here in Colorado dryness is a problem for our skin in general as well as for the ear canal in particular. The earwax dries out more readily here than in other locales. Many over-the-counter preparations for cleaning earwax have alcohol and/or peroxide in them. Both these substances are very drying. This hardens the earwax and makes it harder for the normal self-cleaning function of the ear canal to occur.
If earwax accumulates in the ear canal or if the canal becomes dry or itchy, a drop of olive oil or mineral oil in the ear canal once or twice a month will soften the wax and lubricate the skin to allow the earwax to migrate out normally.
Before placing any substance in the ear canal, it’s very important to be sure there are no other abnormalities of the eardrum. Be sure to check with your physician.
There are a group of people who have to come in periodically to have their ear canals cleaned. This can best be done by a trained professional. Please let your otolaryngologist know if you have any other questions about the management of cerumen or earwax.
By J. Lewis Romett, MD