Benefits

• People usually don't think about their earwax unless it is causing them problems. But earwax actually has several beneficial functions. It helps keep dirt and other foreign objects from entering further into the ear. It fights off bacteria. And it keeps the ear from becoming too dry.
  
  

How Earwax is Made

• Earwax is made by glands in the outer part of the ear canal. These specialized glands, which are called cerumen glands, are located only in the ear canal, not anywhere else in the body. Usually, the earwax works its way into the outer ear, where it falls off or is washed away and is replaced by new earwax secreted by the cerumen glands.
  
  

Problems

• Sometimes earwax builds up and causes problems. It can block the ear canal and muffle sound. If it becomes hard, it can put pressure on the canal and cause pain. It can even sometimes cause coughs.
  
  

Home Remedies

• If you have ever had ear surgery or if you think you might have a hole in your eardrum or a pain in your ear, go to a doctor and don't try to remove the earwax yourself. Otherwise, you can try some home remedies. You can soften the earwax by putting several drops of baby oil, hydrogen peroxide or over-the-counter earwax removal solution in your ear twice a day. Once the earwax is softened, which may take a day, try washing it out with a rubber bulb filled with warm water. Some commercial earwax removal kits sell the bulb together with the solution.
  
  

Treatment at a Doctor's Office

• If home remedies don't work, a doctor can remove the wax with special instruments, wash it out or use suction. Often, family doctors will remove earwax, but occasionally a patient will need to see a specialist.
  
  

Warnings

• People who clean their ears with cotton swabs can end up pushing the wax further into their ear canal, actually causing the problem they are trying to prevent. Also, don't use ear candles--hollow cone-shaped candles where 1 end is placed into the ear canal and the wick at the other end is lit. They don't work; they can cause serious problems with the eardrum.