eeeaaaarrrrwwwaaaaxxxxx. earwax?

Question

whats ear wax made of? oh yea and i cant hear in my right ear cuz i have an ear infection.....what should i do (dont say medicine) cuz i already have medicine...besides that

Answer 1

Hi, I'm an Audiologist

Earwax (cerumen) is a body fluid, like perspiration and mucus. Our body secretes it to trap dirt and debris and move it out of the ear canal -- yes, that's right! Earwax is a part of our ears' self-cleaning mechanism!

If you already have medication for an ear infection, the Doctor should have already told you what else to do. It would vary depending on the part of the ear that is infected.

If your external ear canal has the infection (a.k.a. swimmer's ear) you might have some pain/discomfort, itching, muffled hearing, and slight ringing in the ear (tinnitus). You would have been prescribed ear drops either alone or with oral antibiotics. You should also keep water from getting into the ear.

If you have an infection in the middle ear cavity, you would probably also have pain, pressure, fever, a plugged hearing sensation, and some tinnitus. You would have been prescribed oral antibiotics, and may also have been advised to take decongestants to help the fluid drain from behind the eardrum.


An inner ear infection usually involves significant loss of hearing, as well as noises in the ear (tinnitus) and spinning dizziness (vertigo). Prescriptions are either antibiotics and/or steroids.

Over the counter pain relievers can be taken for pain, and heat may also ease some of the discomfort for both of these types of infections. Make sure you take any and all prescriptions exactly as directed. Fell better soon and have a Healthy, Happy 2007!