Why is there dry earwax and wet earwax?

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor of Otolaryngology - Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.

The human body is a unified block, any part also assumes a certain role, including substances excreted from the body. One of the secretions that is always present but is rarely noticed is earwax. So why is our body secreting earwax, what role does earwax really play, why is there dry earwax and wet earwax?

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a thin layer of secretions that accumulates on the skin of the outer ear canal. Earwax occurs in most mammals, including humans. Our bodies make earwax from the mucus in the ear canal mixed with dead cells, sweat, and dirt. Under the action of the villi on the surface of the glandular cells, earwax, after being formed, will move in the direction from the inside out, after reaching the outer ear canal, the earwax will tend to dry out and then peel off. . At this time, a new layer of earwax will be formed in the ear canal to replace the outer layer of earwax.

Scientifically, earwax is made up of fat and cholesterol, these ingredients give earwax when it first forms a yellow, slightly sticky color. Although it is only a secretion of the body, a change in the color of earwax can be an alarming sign of the health condition of the body.
Earwax acts like a "bodyguard" to help prevent bacteria and fungi from attacking the inner organs of the outer ear canal, minimizing the threat to human hearing. In addition, earwax at a moderate level has a "lubricating" function to help sound waves travel easily, preventing small insects, dirt... from entering the ear.

Earwax formation is a natural process of the body, the properties of which can vary depending on location, race, environment, age and diet. Dry earwax or wet earwax depends on the activity of the earwax glands in different people. Some people are only dry earwax, but there are people who are always wet, but most of us Vietnamese are dry earwax. Whether in a dry or wet state, earwax plays a role in protecting the ear canal.
On the other hand, according to statistical researchers, wet or dry earwax can be determined by genetics. Dry earwax is common in 95% of people living in Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. Wet earwax is more predominant in Europeans and Africans. This is explained by the genetic evolution of humans to adapt to different climates.

One symptom of otitis media is foul-smelling earwax. This sign indicates that your ear may have an infection or damage to the middle ear, if not treated promptly can lead to chronic otitis media. Also, if you feel you have problems with your balance, hear ringing in your ears, or feel like your ears are full or blocked, see your doctor right away.

This phenomenon is an alarm of a problem such as a scratch inside the ear causing bleeding or a perforated eardrum, then it should be checked immediately, absolutely should not be ignored.

If the body sweats a lot, water secreted from the ear canal may be because sweat has flowed into the ear, mixed with earwax and then drained out. If you don't sweat, but the wax is very wet and green or dark yellow, it could be a warning sign of an ear infection.

The body will know on its own how much earwax to produce. However, if we clean the earwax too often, the brain will receive feedback and send out a signal to produce more earwax. This is not necessarily a good thing because this can be an easy cause of ear infections and other dangerous complications. On the other hand, stress, highly focused thinking also promotes the production of earwax, the body produces more sweat and makes it easier for earwax to form. Not excluding pathological causes, people with ear infections or defects in the ears... can also cause a lot of earwax to accumulate, affecting the operation of the ears. Therefore, we should see a specialist immediately if we find that there is unusually excessive amount of earwax.

Scaly earwax is not a disease. Scaly earwax is a sign that you are getting older. In the elderly, earwax tends to become scaly, this is a very normal physiological phenomenon.

If earwax suddenly disappears, no longer being produced, then you may have a very rare and unexplained condition called "Keratosis obturans" aka keratin accumulation in the ear canal. . This phenomenon is described as: Instead of moving to the outer ear on its own, earwax accumulates inside the ear until the ear appears a hard "nod". At this time, the patient will feel an earache, may have a fever, if the earwax accumulates too much, it will also cause the ear to swell and become inflamed. At that time, you need to see a specialist for treatment. Absolutely do not arbitrarily find ways to remove earwax because doing this can be dangerous to the ears.
Dry earwax and wet earwax, if the above abnormalities do not appear, are not cause for concern. However, if you see any abnormalities, you should soon visit an Ear - Nose - Throat specialist to find out the cause and have timely treatment.
Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for examination, treatment and prevention of diseases, including Ear - Nose - Throat specialty. When performing the examination process at Vinmec, customers will be welcomed and used modern facilities and equipment along with perfect medical services under the guidance and advice of experts. Good doctors, well-trained both at home and abroad.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline for support.