D'AURORA HEARING & AUDIOLOGY Q: O: Why do I have so much earwax? A. Earwax, or cerumen, is secreted by ceruminous and sebaceous glands under the skin that lines the ear canal. And, just as some people have dry skin while others have oily skin, the same is true of cerumen. Some people produce a lot of cerumen, while others have very little. It serves to protect the ear from foreign matter, but it can be a problem when it becomes impacted. The very safest way to have cerumen removed is to see a physician who specializes in ear care. Using cotton swabs or similar items may only push the cerumen further into the ear canal, making the cleaning process more difficult and possibly causing physical damage to the ear canal and eardrum. Elizabeth J. Bates M.S., CCC-A Caroline D'Aurora M.A., CCC-A Wellington Square 1225 S. Main St, Ste 202A, Greensburg, PA 15601 724.205.6907 Keystone Plaza 8279 Rte 22, Ste 11, New Alexandria, PA 15670 724.668.5091 odnom6739823 D'AURORA HEARING & AUDIOLOGY Q: O: Why do I have so much earwax? A. Earwax, or cerumen, is secreted by ceruminous and sebaceous glands under the skin that lines the ear canal. And, just as some people have dry skin while others have oily skin, the same is true of cerumen. Some people produce a lot of cerumen, while others have very little. It serves to protect the ear from foreign matter, but it can be a problem when it becomes impacted. The very safest way to have cerumen removed is to see a physician who specializes in ear care. Using cotton swabs or similar items may only push the cerumen further into the ear canal, making the cleaning process more difficult and possibly causing physical damage to the ear canal and eardrum. Elizabeth J. Bates M.S., CCC-A Caroline D'Aurora M.A., CCC-A Wellington Square 1225 S. Main St, Ste 202A, Greensburg, PA 15601 724.205.6907 Keystone Plaza 8279 Rte 22, Ste 11, New Alexandria, PA 15670 724.668.5091 odnom6739823