David Moon, age 8, of Huntsville, Ala., for his question:
HOW DOES EARWAX FORM?
Wax impacted in the ear can cause a wide variety of symptoms which might be confused with other ear disorders. Some symptoms may be a full feeling in the ear, hearing loss, earache and abnormal ear noises which are called tinnitus. If there is drainage from the ear or bleeding, the problem could lie in the middle ear as a result of a perforated eardrum.
Having wax in your ear is a normal condition. Cerumen is the medical term for the familiar yellow substance which is popularly called earwax.
Earwax is secreted from the ceruminous glands in the external passage, or external meatus, of the ear.
Earwax, along with hairs that grow in your ear passages and other secretions such as sweat and sebum, helps to keep foreign particles from entering your ears. The cerumen is pasty and waxy when it is first secreted, but later it dries and falls out of the ear during sleep.
Sometimes earwax doesn't fall out of the ear and it remains for a time, gradually accumulating into hard massess which may eventually block the ear completely. Just why this happens isn't clear to medical men, but apparently it is related to the general chemical makeup of the body or to disorders of the ceruminous glands.
Excess hair in the ears may also cause the wax to collect.
If wax collects in your ears, it may sometimes be removed carefully with a twisted end of a washcloth or a soft handkerchief. It is most important that you not poke too far into the ear, however.
Rather than take a chance and injure your ear, it is best for a doctor to remove earwax that is impacted. An ear specialist, called an otologist, often uses a syringe to soften and remove hard wax.
Syringing of the ear allows the fluid to flow behind the impacted cerumen and this forces it out. Improper syringing could push the ear wax farther in.
Doctors often also prescibe special eardrops which aid in softening dried wax. Liquids or drops put into the ear must be kept below 99 degrees Fahrenheit since fluid that is too hot could damage the inner ear.
Sometimes a disorder called keratosis obturans can start when foreign matter in the ear causes irritation. Often a plug forms that fills the ear passage completely.
Keratosis obturans are removed by doctors in a fashion similar to that of removing impacted earwax. The procedure, however, is often very difficult.