earwax

Also known as cera, tapón ceruminal, cerume

Earwax, also known by the medical term cerumen, is a waxy substance secreted in the ear canal of humans and other mammals. Earwax can be many colors, including brown, orange, red, yellowish, and gray. Earwax protects the skin of the human ear canal, assists in cleaning and lubrication, and provides protection against bacteria, fungi, particulate matter, and water.

AI overview

Earwax, medically known as cerumen, is a waxy substance that your ears naturally produce and comes in various colors like brown, orange, red, yellow, or gray. It serves important protective functions by shielding your ear canal skin, keeping it clean and lubricated, and defending against bacteria, fungi, dirt, and water.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition.name: Earwax
Medical condition.synonyms: Cerumen
Medical condition.image: OhrenSchmalzBrocken.jpg
Medical condition.caption: Wet-type human earwax
Medical condition.field: Otorhinolaryngology
Medical condition.pronounce: Cerumen
Medical condition.prognosis: Prevalence

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

1,293 papers

Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Earwax (Cerumen Impaction).Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2017Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM et al.DOI: 10.1177/0194599816671491
Revolutionizing depression diagnosis: earwax analysis for cortisol and beyond.Bioanalysis · 2024Samad S, Baloch B, Qadeer MADOI: 10.4155/bio-2023-0240
Earwax.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2008Coppin R, Wicke D, Little PDOI: 10.3399/bjgp08X279995
Cerumen Impaction: Diagnosis and Management.American family physician · 2018Michaudet C, Malaty J
Impact of Reduced Acidic Earwax pH and Earwax-Determinant Genotypes in Acquired Middle Ear Cholesteatoma.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Hara S, Kusunoki T, Nakagawa H et al.DOI: 10.1002/ohn.888
The effectiveness of topical preparations for the treatment of earwax: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2004Hand C, Harvey I
Simultaneous determination of tramadol in earwax and urine samples: effects of age, duration time and sex.Bioanalysis · 2024Massadeh AM, Al-Rawi NH, Fayyad MT et al.DOI: 10.4155/bio-2023-0217
The safety and effectiveness of different methods of earwax removal: a systematic review and economic evaluation.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2010Clegg AJ, Loveman E, Gospodarevskaya E et al.DOI: 10.3310/hta14280

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Earwax on swab.jpg

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Commons category: Earwax

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~17 min read

Article

19 sections

Contents

Physiology
Wet or dry
Cleaning
Lubrication
Antimicrobial effects
Excess earwax (impacted cerumen)
Softeners
Microsuction
Ear irrigation
Mechanical removal using a curette or cotton swabs
Ear candles
Ear vacuuming
Potential complications
Prevalence
History
Uses
References
Further reading
External links

Major components of earwax include cerumen, produced by a type of modified sweat gland, and sebum, an oily substance. Both components are made by glands located in the outer ear canal. The chemical composition of earwax includes saturated and unsaturated long chain fatty acids, alcohols, squalene, and cholesterol. Earwax also contains dead skin cells and hair.