Prompt Cast
The Truth About Earwax: Functions, Dangers, and Myths
TLDR Earwax serves important functions such as killing bacteria, lubricating the ear canal, maintaining balance, and protecting the inner ear. Cleaning earwax with cotton swabs or other objects is dangerous and can lead to build-up and injuries, while ear candling is ineffective and can cause serious harm.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This podcast episode is about earwax and what you should and shouldn't do with it.
04:47
Earwax is produced by specialized glands in the outer third of the ear canal and is made up of secretions from sebaceous glands and apocrine sweat glands, dead skin cells, hair follicles, dust, and other debris, and it is pushed out of the ear by the motion of talking and chewing.
09:43
Earwax serves four main functions: it creates an acidic environment to kill bacteria and fungi, it lubricates the ear canal to prevent dryness, it helps maintain balance and prevent nausea, and it protects the inner ear from potential problems.
14:16
Earwax traps dead skin and hair cells to carry them out and keep the ear clean.
18:33
Using cotton swabs to clean earwax can actually push it further into the ear and lead to a build-up, as well as other dangers like perforating the eardrum and causing swimmers ear.
23:12
Using cotton swabs to clean earwax is not recommended, but it is okay to wash the external ear with a cloth.
27:25
Using cotton swabs, car keys, bobby pins, toothpicks, or any other object to clean your ears is extremely dangerous and should never be done.
31:38
Ear candling is a debunked and dangerous procedure that claims to create a vacuum to remove impurities and ear wax, but in reality, it cannot pass through the eardrum and does not create a vacuum.
36:18
Ear candling is not only ineffective at removing impurities and ear wax, but it can also cause injuries such as burns, perforated eardrums, infections, and even death.
40:36
A listener shares their knowledge about different types of vanilla ice cream and the confusion surrounding the term "black cow."
Categories:
Society & Culture
