Earwax – What’s the Obsession?

If you’ve been on social media over the past few years, you’ve probably watched videos of people cleaning their ears. You’ve either been very interested in watching those videos or flicked away immediately from watching them. Either way, earwax is having a big moment to understand and realize what it does for your ears.

Who else can tell you more about this bodily secretion than the experts at Vibrant Hearing? With our expertise and your curiosity, you’ll be well on the way to learning how earwax is much more than something you get grossed out about.

So, What is Earwax?

Earwax (or, more appropriately, cerumen) is fantastic stuff! It is a bug-repellent, dust catcher, and skin conditioner; it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. So, earwax isn’t just the gross stuff you pluck out of your ears with a cotton swab – it’s a vital part of your ear’s inner workings. A little earwax is a good thing!

Leave Your Earwax Alone (For the Most Part)

If you count yourself among the endless hoard of people who reach for a cotton swab following a hot shower, then allow us to educate you on why you shouldn’t do that.

Most people don’t like the wet feeling in their ears after a shower and will use a cotton swab to dry out the canal. It’s a practical solution, but that swab removes the necessary layer of earwax produced the day before.

When you remove the conditioning layer from the wax, you put your ear at risk of fungal and bacterial infections, weeping, itching, and general nastiness. If the creepy wet feeling bothers you, use some tissue. If you MUST use a cotton swab, hold the swab at the base of the cotton tip, and don’t use much pressure.

What About Compacted Earwax?

Using cotton swabs consistently and incorrectly can cause significant hearing issues. Many videos of people cleaning their inner ears are of people being treated for compacted earwax.

Compacted earwax occurs after months or years of pushing earwax down into the ear with a cotton swab. Over time, the compacted earwax can accumulate and cause reduced hearing capacity, pain in the inner ear, and even hearing loss.

Light cases of compacted earwax are treated with a tiny camera and scraping tools that can gently remove the wax build-up and clean your ears more effectively.

Then, there are the more severe cases of compacted earwax. Irrigation is the only way to treat a severe case. A hearing specialist or doctor can insert a device into your ear that sprays concentrated water into the canal, which can break up and remove the compacted earwax easily.

Count On Vibrant Hearing

Now that you know more about earwax, you can rely on the experts at Vibrant Hearing to help you! With our team of compassionate caregivers, we can help you manage your earwax or clean your ears if you’re having issues hearing. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment with our staff. We offer hearing services throughout Montana.