by JL Francis

Created on: March 12, 2008

Please, say that again.
I didn't hear you.
What was that?

Saying these once in awhile is okay. But, if you're constantly asking people to repeat themselves you probably have a hearing problem. For some the problem may require a hearing aid, while others may just have a buildup of earwax.

Earwax is a natural fluid that is composed of secretions made by the ceruminous glands, hair, skin and sweat. Before jumping into the purpose of earwax here's a brief review of the ear's structure.

The ear can be divided into the external, middle and inner parts.

External ear is the visible part of the ear (pinna and lobule) that has an opening called the external auditory canal which leads to the eardrum (a membrane separating the external and middle ear)

Middle ear contains three bony structures called the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup) and they work to conduct sound from the eardrum to the inner ear

Inner ear is made up by the cochlear bone (hearing); three semicircular canals and a vestibule (balance)

Earwax or cerumen is produced in the external part of the ear and appears light to dark brown or orange in adults. Children produce more earwax than adults but it decreases with age. The color and texture is also different appearing lighter and softer, both qualities also change with age. Based on geographic location earwax is either a wet or dry type. Wet earwax is dominant and found in Africans and Caucasians. The dry type has been linked to Asians and Native Americans. Japanese researchers discovered an earwax gene and suggested that the difference in earwax type may be due to natural selection.

In a New York Times article, the researchers argued that earwax and sweating are correlated. They argued that Africans living in hotter climates sweat more and as a result have the gene for wet earwax. The Asian population endures colder temperatures and sweats less and consequently ended up with dry earwax. This argument is not widely accepted but it cracks opens the door to question if there is some additional role the two forms of earwax play.

We may not know everything about this waxy substance. But what we do know is that the at local drugstores seeing cotton swabs on the shelves remind us to clean our ears. So if we want to remove it why do we need earwax anyway?

Wax serves three main roles in the ear:

FILTER SYSTEM
Earwax helps to trap dust and dirt in order to keep the ear canals clean. The ear is a self-cleaning structure. The wax with the trapped particles

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