Definition
In technical jargon, earwax is called cerumen obturans. It is formed by the earwax gland in the external auditory canal. It is the most common ear discharge.
It can be light yellow to dark brown, solid to liquid. The earwax is greasy and ensures that the outer ear canal skin remains supple. It serves as a protection against dust and dirt particles and keeps the skin in the outer ear canal moist.
It is also antibacterial. This means it contains substances such as the so-called lysozyme, which fights bacteria and keeps insects away. If this protection is missing, inflammation, injury and pain can occur more quickly. The earwax therefore has important protective functions. Only when it accumulates in excess – often due to unfavorable behavior – can it cause discomfort.
Causes
Normally, earwax gets to the outside of the ear during the self-cleaning process of the ears. One reason for this is that the cell layers in the external auditory canal grow from the inside to the outside. With the physiological renewal of the cell layers, the earwax is normally transported out of the ear.
On the other hand, additional small hairs, the so-called ciliated epithelium, ensure that the earwax is transported from the inside to the outside. If an attempt is made to clean the ear with cotton swabs, the earwax is pushed deeper into the ear canal. As a result, the earwax can block the sound transmission to the inner ear and the affected person’s hearing becomes worse. Especially after being in water, bathing or swimming, swelling processes can occur, which block the ear canal even more and make hearing more difficult.
Earwax or middle ear infection – How do I recognize the difference?
Hearing loss caused by earwax does not initially cause pain. An inflammation of the middle ear can cause very severe pain. If the earwax increasingly blocks the external auditory canal, the ear canal cannot be adequately cleaned and bacteria and viruses can remain there.
These can then cause an inflammation of the outer ear canal. Earwax can also obstruct the external auditory canal and cause an inflammation. If an inflammation of the external auditory canal develops due to the earwax, it can also cause severe pain.
There is a simple trick to differentiate between inflammation of the ear canal and inflammation of the middle ear: if you press on the small skin cartilage in front of the ear canal, the so-called tragus of the ear, the pain increases when the outer ear canal becomes inflamed. In most cases, pulling on the auricle also increases the pain. In the case of an inflammation of the middle ear, the pain remains the same.
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