By Bopanna Ballachanda
This article is a part of the November/December 2024, Volume 36, Number 6, Audiology Today issue.
The production of cerumen, also known as earwax, is attributed to the apocrine and sebaceous glands in the ear canal’s cartilaginous section (Ballachanda, 2013; Schwartz et al, 2017). Initially, earwax presents as a transparent fluid, but its composition becomes darker due to the accumulation of hair follicles, dust, and epithelial tissue (Ballachanda, 2013). This substance serves a crucial protective function by safeguarding the ear against dust, dirt, and potentially harmful bacteria—a role that often goes unnoticed. Whereas much of the population produces wet or sticky earwax, a small percentage generates dry earwax (Ballachanda, 2013).
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