Earwax is medically called cerumen. Whenever they accumulate in our ears, we will feel itchy and unbearable, and they will look dirty, so we usually clean the earwax deep in the ear canal regularly. When we were young, we all avoided the earwax that was taken out, not because we disliked how dirty it was, but because we were afraid of accidentally eating it in our mouths. Will you become dumb after eating earwax? So, is this widely circulated claim true?
First, let’s take a look at what kind of thing earwax is. Earwax is composed of oily and watery substances secreted by the cerumen gland in the ear mixed with dead cells shed from the ear canal. Observed by our naked eyes, earwax is usually a pale yellow waxy dry flaky substance. From the analysis of chemical components, the main components are oil, stearin, fatty acid, protein, yellow pigment, and a small amount of water, chalk, potassium, sodium, etc. And all these ingredients are non-toxic, will not pose a hazard to the human body, and of course will not make us dumb.
On the one hand, this argument is that the secretions discharged from the body are very unhygienic, and we are worried that we will put them in our mouths because of curiosity; another more important reason is that we are afraid that we will dig out our ears by ourselves and accidentally cause harm to ourselves. . Facts have proved that although the claim that eating earwax will become dumb is not believed, this warning is still somewhat reasonable.
In fact, the existence of earwax not only does not cause harm to our health, but also has a lot of protective effects on our ears. Earwax is moist and sticky. Many dust and germs that enter the ear canal will be stuck by it. Once stuck by it, the germs cannot continue to multiply; there is a layer of “acid film” on the earwax, and this layer of “acid film” has The function of inhibiting the growth of germs; earwax contains oil and can also play a role in keeping the ear canal dry; the presence of earwax will filter and buffer the strong external sound waves, so that our tympanic membrane will not be damaged.
Earwax has so many benefits, so excessive cleaning is naturally not conducive to the health of our ears, and it is easy to hurt ourselves if we operate carelessly. Although the argument that eating earwax becomes dumb is unreliable, the warning can really protect us and make our ears healthier.
