Oily earwax with infection, otitis externa, and cholesteatoma of the external ear canal may be the cause of the sticky black earwax with foul smell.
1. Oily earwax with infection: Oily earwax is genetically determined by human body and has certain heredity. Some people have exuberant secretion of cerumen and sebaceous glands, and discharge brownish-yellow, oily and sticky material, which gathers into a mass in the ear canal, commonly known as “oily ear”, and if coupled with pulling out the ear, or ear canal into the dirty water and other triggers, it may induce an infection, and form a corrosive odor.
2. Otitis externa: The external ear canal normally contains a little cerumen, if cerumen meets water, it may become sticky and not easy to be discharged, and even block the ear canal, inducing otitis externa, causing earache, and even hearing loss symptoms. Due to the stimulation of inflammation, the earwax becomes sticky, black and smelly.
3. Cholesteatoma of the external auditory canal: it may be related to the long-term chronic stimulation of the external auditory canal or inflammation, tumors, traumatic injury, the shedding of keratinized epithelial cells of the skin of the ear canal, and the gradual accumulation of cholesteatoma in the external auditory canal. Easily misdiagnosed as cerumen embolism, cholesteatoma of the external auditory canal is often also combined with infection, then may also appear in the external ear sticky secretion black odor.
When you find the earwax is thick and black with foul smell, we suggest you to consult the hospital for diagnosis and standardized treatment.