Ear wax, or cerumen, is made by glands in the outer part of the ear canal. The skin in the ear canal naturally moves toward the outside of the ear, carrying the ear wax with it. Ear wax is helpful in maintaining a healthy ear. This sticky substance helps protect the ear by discouraging insects and other foreign objects from entering the ear canal. Cerumen helps maintain the ear canal's acid balance. Fresh ear wax is soft and yellow. Older cerumen may be brown or black, even resembling blood. It may also be dry, appearing white and flaky. Cerumen can be cleaned safely from the outer ear with a washcloth or fingertip.

Some people produce an excessive amount of cerumen. Others have a poor self-cleaning mechanism. Hearing aid users must be alert to cerumen build-up, because the earmold of a hearing aid acts like a dam, preventing cerumen from moving out of the ear canal. A major cause of hearing aid problems are due to cerumen plugging up the hearing aid. If excess ear wax gathers in the ear canal, it acts like an earplug, blocking sound vibrations entering the ear and causing a hearing loss. This can also occur if a Q-tip or similar instrument is used to clean the ear canal. The instrument may push cerumen deeper into the ear canal compacting it. The inner portion of the ear canal lacks oil glands, so the compacted cerumen is no longer coated with oil and hardens. In such situations, cerumen should be removed by a healthcare provider. Removal of the cerumen blockage will reverse the hearing loss it has caused. Never try to remove cerumen yourself with any type of instrument, such as a Waterpik, Q-tip, bobby pin or toothpick. Such tools often cause injury to the ear canal or perforate the ear drum. They may dislodge the small bones in the middle ear behind the eardrum. They can even damage the inner ear, causing permanent hearing loss.

A safer way to remove cerumen is to dissolve it with warm water, baby oil or eardrops. It is wise to consult a health care provider before attempting any of these procedures.

If you are concerned about excessive cerumen or a change in hearing sensitivity, contact your healthcare provider.

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