Earwax is a natural substance which protects the outer ear canal. Earwax has antibacterial properties which keeps your ears healthy and clean. So, a healthy amount of earwax may even decrease your risk for ear infections. Some people may notice they have too much earwax, but this is often as a result of another issue and can cause further problems for the individual.
There are several reasons as to why earwax can build up and become too much. When earwax can become trapped as well as dead skin cells which can be the result of natural aging process or can also be caused by harmful earwax removal methods. Some methods for home earwax removal can damage your ears or push the earwax deeper into your ear canal causing a build-up. The shape of a person’s ear can also cause too much earwax if the ear canal is too narrow, you have scar tissue from multiple ear infections or if you have an increased amount of hair in the ear canal. Your body can overproduce earwax as a result of trauma or even trapped water.
Your body naturally removes earwax and dead skin through your ear when you chew or talk. Jaw movement causes the earwax to move towards your outer ear. If you feel you have too much earwax, there are several ways to remove it. However, if you have any other symptoms or pain then you should contact your healthcare provider and try not to attempt to remove it yourself as this may cause more damage.