The earwax is an oily and solid substance produced by the earwax glands, which are located in all parts of the external auditory canal.
Earwax consists of a mixture of:
- Keratin (skin protein)
- Long-chain fatty acids
- Cholesterol
- Squalene
- Alcohol.
The production of earwax is a natural metabolic process of the body.
Earwax:
- Serves to protect the ear canal and cleans and greases the inside,
- Has a yellowish or dark brown color,
- Has a slightly acidic pH and therefore also possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties that prevent infections inside the ear.
Missing earwax can cause:
- Dryness
- Itching.
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Why does an earwax plug form?
Normally, earwax forms slowly and the epithelial cells push it out of the ear.
Chewing and jaw movements help earwax to move from inside the ear canal towards the outer ear.
Earwax can accumulate and form a “plug” that:
- Do not stand out from the outside,
- The production of which is excessive.
People of all ages (from newborns to the elderly) can suffer from such ailments.
People with a narrow ear canal (for example, due to bony protrusions) are more likely to form earwax plugs.
Older people are more prone to it because the earwax dries as the altar increases, and the natural exit from the ear becomes more difficult.
Causes of the earwax plug
Improper cleaning: When people use items such as cotton swabs or the curled corner of a napkin to clean earwax, they may accidentally push the earwax deeper into the ear canal and this can lead to accumulation.
This can also happen due to earplugs or hearing aids.
Very dusty environment: In such environments, the ear is stimulated to create earwax to protect against the dust in the air. Earwax catches the dust that enters the ear. The result is a denser earwax.
Seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis of the outer auricle: These diseases can lead to the development of earwax plugs. The cause is the extraordinary scaling of the skin, which leads to a denser earwax.
Other causes include:
- Recurrent ear infections (ear infections); the earwax can mix with the secretions and excretions of a fungal infection or bacterial infection;
- Too many hairs inside the ear; the hair can hold back the earwax in the ear canal;
- stagnation of water and other substances in the ear; the earwax tends to increase in volume when it comes into contact with water. The accumulation of earwax may increase if soap residues or remnants of ear drops remain in the ear;
- According to the theory of the blood group diet, the diet can lead to the proliferation of earwax, especially in milk, dairy products (yogurt and cheese) and pork. In people with blood type A or AB, red meat can also lead to this disorder.
Symptoms of earwax plug
The severity of symptoms varies from person to person and depends to a large extent on the amount of earwax that forms the closure.
Symptoms include:
- feeling of a blocked ear,
- Reverberation: The patient hears an echo of his voice while speaking.
- Earache in an ear infection, enlarged cervical lymph nodes may also occur.
- Tinnitus: The individual hears a sound (humming or whistling) coming from inside the ear.
- feeling of drowsiness, dizziness in the head or spinning vertigo,
- Cough: Since the pressure from the accumulated earwax can stimulate every single nerve in the ear, this can lead to coughing. But this is rare.
- Loss of hearing: If there is an excessive amount of earwax in one ear, partial or total hearing loss occurs.
- Itching inside the ear, which may be minor or intense.
- Discharge and foul smell from the ear.
Complications of earwax plugs
Complications of earwax plugs arise from incorrect treatment, for example, the use of thin instruments to clean the internal auditory canal.
Risks include:
- Perforated or torn eardrum,
- ear infections,
- Permanent numbness,
- External ear infection due to trauma in the ear canal.
Diagnosis and examination of the earwax plug
A doctor can diagnose an earwax plug:
- By listening to the symptoms reported by the patient,
- By examining the ear with the otoscope, an instrument with a funnel and a light source used to examine the ears.
During the physical examination, the doctor must take into account that the slope of the external auditory canal in children is different from that of adults.
- In adults, it is directed from top to bottom and from back to front.
- In children, it is rather horizontal.
Repeated earwax
plug If a new earwax plug forms more often after removal, the cause may be a fungal disease caused by Aspergillus niger, which has affected the external auditory canal.
The otologist should consider this possibility as a differential diagnosis.
When examining the earwax plug in the laboratory, fungal colonies can be detected.
The fungi form dry and odorless masses.
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