If you are in the habit of rolling cotton buds, Q-tips or anything else in your ear every so often, in an attempt to rid your ears of earwax, think again. Far from being hygienic, you may in fact be damaging your ear and affecting your hearing. In some cases, a rigorous ear-cleaning regimen may even lead to hearing loss if you continue with this practice for long.

You have to understand that the narrow ear canal is not designed for inserting things in. Fine, cleanliness is a virtue but there has to be a method to it. And a little bit of earwax is not going to damage your ears as it’s something natural and serves some purpose. And what purpose might that be, you ask?

Well, in the past earwax has been used as a lip balm and salve for puncture wounds, and recent research suggests that earwax can do more than that; it can indicate a build-up of pollutants in the body and it can even be used to diagnose certain conditions, and tells you a fair amount about yourself — and not just in a personal hygiene kind of way.

It’s something most of us would not like to discuss in polite company and most probably don’t want to give much thought to. But that won’t stop Dr Know from revealing some lesser known facts about earwax!

Here are some things that might interest you:

Nature’s protective shield

One of the plus points of earwax is that it lubricates the ears, the way that tears lubricate the eyes. The wax can keep the ears from feeling dry or itchy.

It keeps the ear (relatively) clean

The wax that builds up in the ear is a combination of lubricating secretions, sloughed skin cells, and dirt and dust trapped there while trying to enter your ear. But the interesting part is that it does not stay inside but will clean itself out. The normal movements of the lower jaw, like eating or talking, pushes the wax towards the outside — no cotton swab required. Experts suggest that you should leave the earwax alone, unless you’re experiencing symptoms of too much earwax, which can include hearing changes. In fact, trying to clean earwax can do more harm than good, if the wax is pushed further into the ear canal rather than extracted.

A pollution monitor

Like many other bodily secretions, earwax can show traces of certain toxins in the body such as heavy metals. But it’s an odd place to look and no more reliable than a simple blood test.

Earwax and body odour

Some people produce wet earwax, while others have dry. The white, flaky type probably means that you lack a certain chemical in your sweat that causes body odour. Dark and sticky earwax, however, means you’ll want to keep deodorant handy! But then, a sniff would probably tell you the same thing.

Stress or fear can increase earwax production

The apocrine glands in the ear, or the glands that help to secrete wax, are also responsible for the odour in your sweat. Just like stress, fear and other strong emotional responses can make you sweat more (and smell worse), they can also increase your earwax production, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Race variations

Asians and non-Asians produce different types of earwax. According to researchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, like with sweat, chemical compounds in earwax differ between the races; and the molecules that produce an odour are generally higher in Caucasians than in East Asians.

Say no to ear candles

If we’re going to stay away from cotton swabbing, let’s also banish the idea that burning a candle in the ear will effectively and safely remove excess earwax. If that sounds absolutely insane, please know that ear candles (yes, they exist) are hollow candles which are burnt at one end while the other end is inserted in the ear; but research has shown that the practice is both dangerous and ineffective. It not only can lead to burns, but may also block the ear canal or perforate the eardrum.

Experts suggest that if you’re really concerned about cleaning out the build-up, let some warm water wash over and into your ears in the shower every so often. That’s usually enough to warm and loosen even the most stubborn wax.

A vacuum rather than a syringe might help clear it

If you really have to remove earwax there are various methods — from syringing to vacuuming. Although low, there are some risks involved with syringing, or ear irrigation as it is commonly known, such as perforation of the ear drum, middle ear infection, external canal infection or ringing in the ear.

To avoid these risks, people go for micro-suction treatment, where the ear canal is cleaned with an instrument like a tiny vacuum cleaner; the whole procedure is carried out whilst looking into the ear canal with a microscope. It’s like one of those things they put in your mouth at the dentist to suck water out while you are having a filling, but in your ear.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, June 8th, 2014