Ear wax is a natural mix of secretions and dead skin found in the ear. It is not a bad thing, it helps to protect the ear against dust, dirt and bacteria. Ear wax (Cerumen to be official!) is made up of skin cells, dust and oily secretions from the sebaceous and ceruminous glands in the ear canal. The secretions lubricate the ear canal and prevent it becoming too dry. Your ear wax is probably not the same as someone elses! Ear wax make up changes from person to person based on diet, age and race.
Some people just suffer with regular blocked ears.
Causes of ear wax buildup can be:
- Over production of ear wax
- Narrow ear canals
- Hairy ear canals
- Dry ear wax, (not much moisture in the secretion as you get older)
Swimmers ear, bony growths in the ear canal can block the progress of ear wax
- A tight or hard ear canal bend
- You keep putting damned cotton buds in your ear! (nothing smaller than your elbow in your ear)
- Wearing hearing aids (sometimes can cause ear wax build up)
- Wearing in ear headphones (same as above)
Symptoms of an ear wax build up:
Here are all the symptoms of hearing loss:
Earache, as it builds up it can press against the ear canal causing pain, yes ear wax can cause pain!
Hearing loss, it can deliver to you the gift of hearing loss, especially if you have just gone swinmming or had a shower
Itchiness in the ear (can be caused by other things though like dry skin)
Dizziness, a spinning sensation without the use of GIn (lovely Gin)
Tinnitus, surprisingly enough it can give you a sense of buzzing or ringing in the affected ear