Ear Care: Do-It-Yourself Wax Removal

09 November 2011

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Some people's ears produce

wax

like busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose.

It protects and cleans the ear. It

traps

dirt 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

. 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 the

ear canal

that produce the wax make too much in some people. Earwax is normally

expelled

; it falls out of the ear or gets washed away. But extra wax can harden and form a

blockage

that

interferes

with 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.