This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Some people's ears producewaxlike busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose.

It protects and cleans the ear. Ittrapsdirt and other matter, and it keeps insects out. Doctors think earwax might also help protect against infections. And the waxy oil keeps ears from getting too dry.

So earwax is good. It even has a medical name:cerumen">cerumen. And there are two kinds. Most people of European or African ancestry have the "wet" kind: thick and sticky. East Asians commonly have "dry" earwax.

But you can have too much of a good thing.

The glands in theear canalthat produce the wax make too much in some people. Earwax is normallyexpelled">expelled; it falls out of the ear or gets washed away. But extra wax can harden and form ablockagethatinterfereswith soundwaves and reduces hearing.

People can also cause a blockage when they try to clean out their ears, but only push the wax deeper inside. Earwax removal is sometimes necessary. But you have to use a safe method or you could do a lot of damage.

Experts at the National Institutes of Health, NIH, suggest some ways to treat excessive earwax yourself. The wax can be softened with mineral oil, glycerin or ear drops. Hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide may also help.

Another way to remove wax is known as irrigation. With the head upright,take hold ofthe outer part of the ear. Gently pull upward to straighten the ear canal. Use a syringe device to gently direct water against the wall of the ear canal. Then turn the head to the side to let the water out.

The experts at NIH say you may have to repeat this process a few times. Use water that is body temperature. If the water is cooler or warmer, it could make you feeldizzy. Never try irrigation if the eardrum is broken. It could lead to infection and other problems.

After the earwax is gone, gently dry the ear. But if irrigation fails, the best thing to do is to go to a health care provider for professional assistance.

You should never put acotton swabor other object into the ear canal. But you can use a swab or cloth to clean the outer part of the ear. Experts agree with the old saying that you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. For more health news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Christopher Cruise.

重点词汇注释

wax [wæks]
n.1. 蜡2. 耳垢；耳屎
vt.1. 给…打蜡,增大2. 用蜡除去…上的毛
vi.1.说话变得（热情、雄辩、伤感等）起来2. (月亮)渐圆；渐满

earwax
n.耳屎；耳垢

cerumen">cerumen
n. [生理] 耳屎；耳垢

trap [træp]
vt. 诱捕；使…受限制；使…陷入困境
n. 陷阱；圈套；存水弯
vi. 设陷阱

ear canal
n.耳道

expell
vt. 驱逐,逐出,开除
The student was expelled">expelled for cheating.
这个学生因作弊被开除。
He was expelled">expelled from the society owing to his misconduct.
他因品行不端而被逐出会。

blockage ['blɔkidʒ]
n. 堵塞，堵塞；封锁；妨碍

interfere[intə'fiə]
vi. 干涉；干预；妨碍；打扰；抵触；冲突
I do not like him to interfere with my affairs.
我不喜欢他干扰我的事。
I dislike my mother's interfering in the affair.
我不喜欢母亲介入这件事。

take hold of 握住

dizzy['dizi]
a. 晕眩的,眼花缭乱的
vt. 使晕眩
Those math problems made me dizzy.
那些数学题弄得我晕头转向。
Don't become dizzy with success.
别因为胜利而冲昏了头脑。

cotton swab
n.棉签