Patient's question:
A five-year-old girl has earwax in her ear that is as hard as stones, blocking her ear tightly. Will it interfere with her hearing? The hardness of the earwax has blocked her ear tightly. Previous treatment and effectiveness: None. What kind of help is needed: Will it interfere with her hearing?Doctor's answer:
Earwax, medically known as "cerumen," is a viscous substance secreted by the ceruminous glands in the external auditory canal. It can adhere to dust and other debris that enter the ear canal, as well as shed skin cells produced by local skin metabolism. Therefore, what we see as earwax is not solely the secretion of the ceruminous glands. Cerumen serves a certain protective function for the human ear. It can cover the surface of the skin in the external auditory canal to prevent dryness and dust adhesion, as well as to prevent infections from external pathogens. Additionally, if water enters the ear canal, cerumen can provide some preventive effects.