2. Earwax Prevents Irritating Itch
Earwax has another functional purpose—just like tears lubricate the eyes to prevent itching, the apocrine glands in the inner ears secrete earwax in order to lubricate the inner ear canal, preventing dryness and irritation.
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3. Stress Increases Earwax
Did you know that the same glands responsible for exuding earwax, the apocrine glands, are the same type of glands that produce sweat? According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, this explains why stress not only increases perspire, but also earwax production. If your earwax is dark and sticky, you are more likely stressed and even a bit stinky!
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4. Don’t Stick That in There!
Believe it or not, your body rids itself of earwax quite naturally. As you use your lower jaw—chewing, talking, yawning, etc.—this motion gradually pushes the wax through the ear canal and out—zero Q-tips required!
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5. Cotton Swabs and Q-Tips Can Be Dangerous
Drop that Q-Tip or cotton swab! Your actually making matters worse by trying to clean your ears. The inward motion actually forces and compacts the wax further inward toward the ear canal where it can impair your hearing and cause painful wax buildup.
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6. Is Ear Candling Safe?
Not so much say doctors at the Seattle-based Swedish Neuroscience Institute’s Center for Hearing and Skull Base Surgery. In fact, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) claims there is no proof that the practice actually works and calls the safety concerns into question—for instance, burning object into your ear leaves you prone to burns, blocked ear canals, and even ruptured or perforated eardrums.
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