What’s the Point of Earwax?

Earwax seems kind of pointless.  I mean, we spend time poking Q-tips in our ears just to take the stuff out! And what is that stuff anyway? The ears seem like an odd body part to produce waste. But earwax isn’t waste, in fact it’s extremely important.

 

Cerumen, better known to us as earwax is a waxy and yellow material produced by the ear canal inside the ear. It serves a pretty important purpose too. It lubricates our ears, repels water from the inside of the ear, and acts as a stop sign to dirt, bacteria, bugs, or other materials that could find their way to your ear. Without it, our ears would be dry, itchy, and prone to infection, as happens with people who do not produce enough earwax.  After earwax does its job, it works its way to the outer ear and falls out.

 

Even though earwax is extremely useful, there are two different types of earwax that you could have based on your ethnicity. One is a wet and sticky type commonly found in people of European or African ancestry or a dry and flakey type commonly found in people of Eastern Asian ancestry.

 

Japanese researcher Kohichiro Yoshiura studied the genes from 33 different ethnic groups to single the specific gene responsible for making the earwax either wet or dry and found that the gene that makes earwax wet was not present in those of eastern Asian descent.

 

The only question is why this disparity exists, and scientists aren’t entirely sure. Some believe it has do as an adaptation to the cold, which I don’t believe. There are many cold places in Europe and Africa and this gene has not been adapted in either places. There is always the possibility of random genetic drift, though that tends to be the theory given to concepts without real answers.

 

Though it may not seem important, earwax really helps us out, and it’s important that we don’t use Q-tips to try to get this stuff out. Either it will push the wax further back into the ear or will damage part of the ear. Its better to just let it be and keep your ears from getting dry. 

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4 thoughts on “What’s the Point of Earwax?

  1. BAYLEE ROSE GOLDSTEIN

    I found this article interesting, it is funny because when I read the opening about using q-tips I automatically thought about how you’re not supposed to use q-tips on ears. This article talks about why they are bad for your ears http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/11/q-tips-ears-danger also I was thinking during this article about how my friend used to get her ears cleaned before she went on planes. I feel earwax is one of those things we all don’t know much about, is it necessary to get our ears cleaned by a doctor? “when it comes to earwax you better pick your parents wisely” http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390444354004578058513951005712 This article talks about how if the earwax isn’t bothersome then it should be left alone but how many people’s guilty pleasure is getting their ears cleaned!

  2. KARLY M GORDON

    I honestly was absolutely grossed out while reading this article on the details about earwax. However, lately I am hearing about “ceruman”all the time because I am currently enrolled in audiology. One time, I had to go to a lab and stick an instrument in my ear, and look at the inner parts of my ear through a projector attached. I was grossed out, because all I saw was ear wax and I automatically thought I had an ear infection. My teacher filled me in that I have it for a reason to prevent bacteria and things like ear infections. I am now considering becoming and audiologist instead of a speech pathologist, although I do not know how much I can handle looking into a lot of peoples ears!
    Here is some information on what an audiologist does:
    http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/audiologists.htm

  3. MICHAEL JOSEPH DARBY

    I found your article about earwax to be extremely interesting, especially considering that I never knew any of the benefits to it and always thought it was a bad thing. I have hurt myself countless times using Q-tips and never knew that earwax could actually provide benefits as well. However, I have definitely experienced discomfort due to earwax before. In fact, excessive build-up of earwax can lead to serious side effects such as blockage, temporary loss of hearing, or even vomiting and dizziness. With that being said, I guess it’s true what they say to ‘never judge a book by its cover’ with regards to the positives that it brings. More can be found on the negative side effects of earwax at this link: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ear-wax

  4. Caio P Azevedo

    I was actually just thinking about what the point of earwax is earlier tonight as I was using a Q-tip. I had heard before that there are 2 types of earwaxes and they depend on genes. I never heard about the background part of it though. Maybe it has something to do with the moisture in the area. I agree with you that the cold probably doesn’t have much of an affect on this.

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