The colour of your earwax can tell you a lot about your health. Normal earwax is usually yellow or light brown in colour, but sometimes you may notice the colour is appearing anything but normal.
If you have noticed red earwax, then this is usually a sign that there is blood present in the ear. The ear canal contains many blood vessels, and sometimes you may accidentally scratch it and notice streaks of blood in your ear. However, if there are any sign of blood in your ear, it should not be ignored as it could also be a sign of an ear infection or even something serious. If you’re concerned about blood in your earwax, you should get your ears checked by a health professional or an audiologist.
The longer the earwax stays in the ear it can appear darker, so if you have darker earwax, it can sometimes be hard to tell whether there’s any blood present. The easiest way of testing this is by putting some earwax between some tissue and squeeze it. By doing this you should then be able to see the underlying colour more easily.
There are several other possible causes of red earwax. This can also be the result of ear trauma or a ruptured eardrum. If you have red earwax alongside any unusual symptoms, we strongly suggest you seek medical advice, especially if you also feel dizzy or experience any hearing loss. Do not attempt to put anything inside your ear as this can cause further damage.
