What does earwax do? – Silicon Zone

Question: What does earwax do?

Asked by buzzers to Andrew, Emma, Marianne on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: General.
- anon answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi Buzzers,
  
  Ear wax seems to be important for keeping the ear canal clean and moist and preventing dust/other air-borne crud from clogging up your ears. It probably also has antibacterial and antifungal proprties.
  
  Sometimes it builds up too much and can impair hearing.
  
  It’s important not to be too obsessed with ear wax ie. poking at your ear with sharp things trying to extract it.
  
  PS An interesting question might be what could we use discarded ear wax for? Perhaps an alternative fuel, maybe candles?
- Marianne Baker answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  Hey buzzers.
  
  Earwax is another one of those bodily secretions whose primary function is to keep our orifices fairly clean (even though it might not seem like it!)
  Wax makes it difficult for bugs to get in – I don’t mean bugs like earwigs (which don’t actually go in your ears, but it is fun to tell little kids that!) – but bacteria and things.
  
  However, again like many things, if it’s not well-controlled and there’s too much or not enough then it can cause problems.
  
  What else does it do… it makes my earphones messy, which is annoying. You could maybe try to make candles out of it, like Shrek! But if you’ve got that much then you should really go to the doctor :/
- Andrew Maynard answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  I was asking myself the same question this morning buzzers!
  
  It actually helps protect the skin in your ear, as well as (believe it or not) helping keep your ears clean and free of infection!
- anon answered on 21 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi buzzers…good question, it has several roles…..it protects and moisturizes the skin in the ear canal, it contains a chemical which has “anitbacterial” properties and and lastly, it acts as a barrier to protect the ear drum ( eg if dust, dirt, and other things entered your ear, the earwax traps them so they can’t travel any further down the ear canal).
  
  I remember seeing a programme about a man who collected his ear wax in a jar and then used it to polish his wooden furniture….eugggh! 🙂

Question: What does earwax do?

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