Can ear wax blocked hearing?

We all know ear wax, that sticky yellow or brown substance that seeps out our ears. It’s gross, but it’s also fascinating. Have you ever thought about how many different types of earwax there are in this world? Well, maybe not. But one question we should all be asking is whether ear wax can block your hearing or not.

What is Ear Wax and Why Do We Have it Anyway?

Before we dive into the main question at hand, let’s first understand what exactly ear wax is and why our bodies produce it in the first place.

Also known as cerumen (fancy term alert), earwax is a naturally occurring protective substance made up of a combination of dead skin cells, hair follicles, and secretions from glands located in the outer part of your ears.

Fun fact: Our body produces three kinds of sweat: eccrine gland sweat (clear liquid), apocrine gland sweat (milky fluid found in armpits) and lastly ceruminous gland secretion – which makes cerumen!

That might sound like an odd combo to us outsiders –skin cells mixed with oily goo– but to paraphrase Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet: “A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet”

Now before everyone jumps on board hailing Iago for comparing Juliet to glorified booger — How does this concoction actually protect us?

Simple! Cerumen prevents dust debris & even small insects from entering further down into your ear canal where they can damage sensitive tissues- keeping them snug against your eardrum instead!

Disclaimer: Although ceruminal production usually slows around middle age; Chronic overproduction can lead to problems later on so watch those q-tips kids !

So…Can Ear Wax Block Your Hearing?

Ok now onto the million-dollar question: Can ear wax block your hearing? The answer is a resounding YES!

Warning: If you’ve ever needed an excuse to finally get around learning sign language, keep reading.

The production of cerumen serves as a natural defense mechanism for our ears, but how much is too much?

When earwax builds up inside the canal, it can become impacted and cause major issues–hello muffled hearing!

Worse yet, according to research cited by Harvard Medical School [1], those using headphones regularly are at greater risk because they promote high-tech versions of balling & packing .

Anything that can help trap wax deeper down in the canal— including wearing insert-type earbuds for music or phone use during long periods — in fact daylong exposure might cause impacted Cerumen cases more often than those who do not suffer headphone-use.

Bottom line we have been warned about high-volume & unprotected listening forever – now even excess and/or ill-placed earwax pose another potential outdoor risk to paying less bank fees when turning on speakerphone mode.

Note: In all seriousness folks if you experience tremendous pain unease ringing/buzzing while lying still; best seek medical intervention ASAP

What Causes Ear Wax Buildup?

There are various causes of blocked ears such as allergies,, skin conditions like eczema (red itchy inflamed skin) infection inflammation excessive ceruminal production (like what I described above!), and even dryness! Oh my…

But did you ever think something so small could be influenced from taking a bath ?

Things like shampoo water damage swimming related incidents- any form of extreme moisture greatly alters pH causing irritation , hair-follicle overstimulation (conveniently also leading to increased ear crustacean goo)

Then there’s other elements like climate change , some medications can increase blockage chances here’s looking at u Accutane, other acne-killing products and some antibiotics

So now you know ¯_(ツ)_/¯

How to Get Rid of Ear Wax Safely?

Now that we have covered the various ways our ears can become blocked, let’s move onto how to get rid of ear wax safely. And a disclaimer: Please forget everything Mom ever told about using cotton swabs.

Nope, never use them in your ears unless you wish an added visit to ER personnel (I’m not kidding folks!)

There are several safe methods for removing excess ear wax at home such as:

1) Do Nothing

This might sound counterintuitive but sometimes giving time itself is a quite effective manner; ultimately loose skin cells will naturally exit headphones. This may take weeks as overgrabbed crumbly bits may continue stuck near delicate insides though.

Disclaimer!: One should probably only try this option if the blockage isn’t severe enough disrupting quality deserved sleep during late-night YouTube catch-up sessions or major job interviews.

2) Warm Water

You can tilt one side of your head and pour warm water into your ear canal gently with the help of a dropper or syringe while massaging around behind earlobe for better circulation.This method softens up the wax making it easier to remove through draining

Note: please resist impulse picking ‘if-what-is-mine-does-not-belong-to-me’ sentiment[s]– do NOT dig away inside w/ toothpicks/bobby pins thrown together crafts ppl!(these cute ideas ≠ functional cleaning tools)

If none work best seek health professionals who have been especially trained & experienced in performing these types medical acts.

How Often Should You Clean Your Ears?

The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation recommends cleaning/wiping outer parts occasionally.

Earwax needs vs doesn’t need to exist and therefore we don’t necessarily have to scoop every ounce of oozing ear grease.

In general, those with no history of ear issues & who do not believe anything is wrong shouldn’t obsess over it!

However, If you experience excessive production/request screening from a professional — they’ll offer suggestions on more efficient, effective ways than using toothbrush bristles- promise!

Conclusion: Clean Your Ears Carefully

Earwax can block your hearing if left unattended or without proper care. Regular cleaning with warm water and avoidance of inserting objects deep into the canal are simple but highly effective solutions for removing excess wax build-up safely.

At this point most us might say ‘ew gross’, maybe ill need therapy after studying up on blooming discharge flow’s biological purpose(s) in depth .

Yet still there’s something so intriguing about our bodies’ natural defense mechanisms that protect against pests –it works silently almost completely normal everyday life – even hearing aid-using individuals should appreciate that!.

So listen up– remember always be shining like new; gleaming earrings / safe surface-level swabbing& let your ears absorb information w/o being too attached ~~ well thank goodness we all learned what’s behind lost decapitated qtip-heads once & again!

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