Did you ever wonder about earwax?

[IronWing]

So did I. Fascinating.

 

[MichaelD]

It's as simple as Wax On, Wax Off.

You think too much, OP.

 

[Ika]

Yes. I have to worry about my cerumen because my ear canals don't auto-clean themselves. That and the fact that I have wet-type cerumen (even though I'm east Asian) means it sucks and I have to clean out my ears at least once every two days if I want to put anything in my ears (like earbuds).

But what is the point of this thread

 

[bobsmith1492]

Very comprehensive article... I guess I'll stop using Q-tips!

 

[El Guaraguao]

a thread about earwax. ok.

 

[Kalmah]

I like the way it tastes.

 

[IronWing]

Aflac,

Maybe you could invent an earbud that cleans your ears as you listen to music. Be sure to include fuel cell technology so that the earbud/cleaner would be self powered, utilizing clean, abundant, renewable, harvested earwax.

 

[lxskllr]

The difference in cerumen type has been tracked to a single base change (a single nucleotide polymorphism) in a gene known as "ATP-binding cassette C11 gene."[8] In addition to affecting cerumen type, this mutation also reduces sweat production. The researchers conjecture that the reduction in sweat was beneficial to the ancestors of East Asians and Native Americans who are thought to have lived in cold climates.[9]

Curious... I have the dry type wax, but I sweat buckets, and get hot very easily. I'm also 3/4 German, but there's tales of having indian in the other 1/4. I always assumed it was the indian everybody used to claim years ago, but I wonder if there's any truth in it....

 

[Rubycon]

Aflac,

Maybe you could invent an earbud that cleans your ears as you listen to music. Be sure to include fuel cell technology so that the earbud/cleaner would be self powered, utilizing clean, abundant, renewable, harvested earwax.

That reminds me of these IEMs I have that have single digit low frequency coverage. I was playing around with several low frequency sine operators and produced a sound that produced the sensation of worms crawling down the canal and into the cochlea! Continued playback often causes benign paroxysmal positional vertigo that can last for days! The post experience is something that you want to block as being a nightmare but it's very real.

It's one of the sensations based upon a combination of psycho acoustics and high amplitude infrasonics that produce a result that put this in a "do not play again - ever" category.

 

[marienbad]

lame

 

[dfuze]

Interesting read for a Sunday night while on hold on the phone.

 

[TridenT]

Whoa. If you're not supposed to use a cotton swab to get earwax out then how the hell do you do it? It is quite disgusting to have so much in there, and it is a huge turnoff to see this yellow/brown substance flowing out of ones ears. Yuck.

 

[wwswimming]

So did I. Fascinating.

can you make candles from it ?

look at that nummy orange goo
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Earwax_on_swab.jpg/167px-Earwax_on_swab.jpg

 

[IronWing]

That reminds me of these IEMs I have that have single digit low frequency coverage. I was playing around with several low frequency sine operators and produced a sound that produced the sensation of worms crawling down the canal and into the cochlea! Continued playback often causes benign paroxysmal positional vertigo that can last for days! The post experience is something that you want to block as being a nightmare but it's very real.

It's one of the sensations based upon a combination of psycho acoustics and high amplitude infrasonics that produce a result that put this in a "do not play again - ever" category.

Why are you suppressing earwax removing technology? People are totally unphased by the horrible side effects of medical procedures. You could be a gazillionaire and buy your own ship!

 

[lxskllr]

Whoa. If you're not supposed to use a cotton swab to get earwax out then how the hell do you do it? It is quite disgusting to have so much in there, and it is a huge turnoff to see this yellow/brown substance flowing out of ones ears. Yuck.

Rinse it with a syringe. I use my finger and Qtips though. I need to get a bigger syringe.

 

[zerocool84]

Whoa. If you're not supposed to use a cotton swab to get earwax out then how the hell do you do it? It is quite disgusting to have so much in there, and it is a huge turnoff to see this yellow/brown substance flowing out of ones ears. Yuck.

I don't shove the Q-tip all the way in my ear but just a little bit in in and it gets enough that since I clean it daily, none gets built up.

 

[lxskllr]

I don't shove the Q-tip all the way in my ear but just a little bit in in and it gets enough that since I clean it daily, none gets built up.

Pro tip... Use your thumb as a depth stop on the Qtip. That'll help prevent nasty accidents from happening ;^)

 

[IronWing]

Pro tip... Use your thumb as a depth stop on the Qtip. That'll help prevent nasty accidents from happening ;^)

See now? You're a marketing genius. From the makers of Q-Tips: Pro-Tips technical grade swabs. Change the stick from white to gray and double the price.

 

[lxskllr]

See now? You're a marketing genius. From the makers of Q-Tips: Pro-Tips technical grade swabs. Change the stick from white to gray and double the price.

Not to mention, many families will have to buy 3 different boxes to take all ear canal depths into account. one size for toddlers, one for young adolescents, and one for adults :^D

 

[redgtxdi]

Bulb syringe.......cup water w/ hand against chest in shower(tepid)......irrigate ear canal several times........watch for massive wax blob to exit ear canal (you can't miss it)

Every couple-few years or never, if you don't care.

:thumbsup:

 

[F1N3ST]

You made me wonder, and I bit.

 

[rh71]

Whoa. If you're not supposed to use a cotton swab to get earwax out then how the hell do you do it? It is quite disgusting to have so much in there, and it is a huge turnoff to see this yellow/brown substance flowing out of ones ears. Yuck.

metal stick with a scoop on the end... be careful though. It works well.

 

[waggy]

yeap.

but then i wear hearing aids and its a bitch cleaning out the ear wax.

 

[SOSTrooper]

1:1 water and hydrogen peroxide works wonder.

 

[ahenkel]

When I was little my mom told me if I stuck a Q-tip in my ear I'd go deaf like the lady on Sesame Street