為什么我們會有耳垢?

為什么我們會有耳垢?

Earwax — not truly wax, but a greasy buildup called cerumen — is actually a protectant for our ears. It serves a very important purpose: to lubricate and protect the ear from outside intruders, such as dirt and debris, reports WebMD. Without earwax, our ears would not only itch, but our inner ear and our brain would be at risk. Imagine earwax as the castle guards, if you will.

耳垢——不是真正的耳垢，而是一種叫做耳垢的油性物質(zhì)——實際上是耳朵的保護劑。它有一個非常重要的作用:潤滑和保護耳朵免受外部入侵者，如灰塵和碎片，WebMD報道。沒有耳垢，我們的耳朵不僅會發(fā)癢，而且我們的內(nèi)耳和大腦也會處于危險之中。如果你愿意，可以把耳垢想象成城堡的守衛(wèi)。

It's tempting, but a cotton swab is not the safe way to clean your ear. (Photo: eyepark/Shutterstock)

Earwax begins as a mix of secretions from the sweat and sebaceous glands in the walls of the outer ear, according to Harvard Health. When your jaw moves from chewing and talking, those secretions move slowly through the ear canal and out through the ear. Eventually, most of them dry up and flake off.

據(jù)《哈佛健康》雜志報道，耳垢是由外耳壁的汗腺和皮脂腺的分泌物混合而成。當你的下顎因為咀嚼和說話而移動時，這些分泌物就會緩慢地通過耳道并從耳朵流出。最終，它們中的大多數(shù)會變干并脫落。

Wax can especially build up if you have eczema, which causes dry, flaky skin. If your ears are particularly hairy, the wax can get caught in the hair. Hearing aids and narrow canals can also cause more wax to build up in your ears, says WebMD.

如果你有濕疹，會導(dǎo)致皮膚干燥、剝落，那么蠟就會特別多。如果你的耳朵特別多毛，耳垢會卡在頭發(fā)里。助聽器和狹窄的耳道也會導(dǎo)致更多的耳垢堆積在耳朵里，WebMD說。

You might be tempted to remove earwax if you see it sitting there. But stay away from ear swabs — they can actually pack in the earwax tighter instead of taking it out, or worse, puncture your eardrum. (As any kindergarten teacher will tell you: Don’t stick anything in your ear smaller than your elbow.)

如果你看到耳垢還在那里，你可能會想把它清除掉。但要遠離耳拭子——它們實際上會把耳垢塞得更緊，而不是取出來，或者更糟糕的是，刺穿你的鼓膜。(任何一位幼兒園老師都會告訴你:不要把比你胳膊肘還小的東西塞進耳朵里。)

Instead, to practice good earwax hygiene at home, clean the skin outside the ear with a damp cloth. Do nothing more.

相反，為了在家里保持良好的耳垢衛(wèi)生，用濕布清潔耳朵外面的皮膚。其他什么都不做。

When to remove earwax

何時清除耳垢

A doctor will use an otoscope to look into the ear to see if earwax buildup is causing a problem. (Photo: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock)

If you're experiencing symptoms such as an ear infection, hearing loss, feeling as though your ear is plugged up, or even ear pain, you might have excessive earwax buildup. In this case, you can try an over-the-counter earwax removal solution. The Mayo Clinic also suggests putting a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil or hydrogen peroxide into the ear to soften the earwax. After a day or two, use a bulb syringe to gently squirt a little warm water into your ear canal. Then tip your head to the side to let everything drain out.

如果你正在經(jīng)歷一些癥狀，比如耳朵感染，聽力喪失，感覺耳朵好像被堵住了，甚至耳朵疼痛，你可能有過多的耳垢堆積。在這種情況下，你可以嘗試非處方耳垢清除解決方案。梅奧診所還建議在耳朵里滴幾滴礦物油、嬰兒油或過氧化氫來軟化耳垢。一兩天之后，用球莖注射器輕輕向耳道里注入一點溫水。然后把頭歪向一邊，讓所有的東西都流出來。

If you’ve tried these solutions and are still feeling discomfort, or if you think you may have a more serious buildup, see your doctor. He or she will use a device called an otoscope to look deep inside your ear to see if buildup is blocking your ear canal. Your doctor may use suction or a small plastic spoon called a curette to remove the wax.

如果你已經(jīng)嘗試過這些方法，但仍然感到不舒服，或者你認為你可能有更嚴重的積聚，去看醫(yī)生。他或她會使用一種叫做耳鏡的設(shè)備來檢查你的耳朵深處，看看是否有東西堵塞了你的耳道。你的醫(yī)生可能會用吸盤或者一個叫做刮蠟器的小塑料勺來清除耳垢。

Also know that you're not alone. Excessive earwax sends about 12 million people to see health care workers every year, including 8 million who require earwax removal, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. The problem affects one in 10 children, one in 20 adults, and more than one-third of the elderly.

還要知道你并不孤單。根據(jù)美國耳鼻喉-頭頸外科基金會的數(shù)據(jù)，每年大約有1200萬人因耳垢過多而去看醫(yī)護人員，其中有800萬人需要清除耳垢。這個問題影響著十分之一的兒童、二十分之一的成年人和三分之一以上的老年人。

Because buildup can cause dizziness or vertigo, this can increase the risk of falling for seniors.

因為積累會導(dǎo)致頭暈或眩暈，這會增加老年人摔倒的風險。

“In elderly patients, [earwax buildup is] fairly common,” Dr. Seth Schwartz, a Seattle otolaryngologist, told Kaiser Health News. “It seems like such a basic thing, but it’s one of the most common reasons people present for hearing-related problems.”

“在老年患者中，[耳垢堆積]相當普遍，”西雅圖耳鼻喉科醫(yī)生賽斯·施瓦茨告訴《凱撒健康新聞》。“這似乎是一件很基本的事情，但它是人們出現(xiàn)聽力相關(guān)問題的最常見原因之一。”