The cerumen glands on the skin of the external ear canal secrete a yellowish, sticky liquid commonly known as earwax, which ya call cerumen. Under normal circumstances, the skin of the external ear canal is always covered with a layer of cerumen, and because it is sticky, it is able to hold foreign objects such as dust and small bugs; from this point of view, cerumen has a positive protective effect. The cerumen dries easily when exposed to the air and forms many small pieces that can be dislodged with the movement of the jaw joint when we chew or open our mouths to speak. Some people have mucus-like cerumen, which people call oily or sugar ears (such people often have combined armpit odor). Since having earwax is a normal physiological phenomenon, there is no need to dig your ears frequently. Sometimes, due to inflammation of the external ear canal, purulent otitis media or working in a dusty environment, the external ear canal is stimulated and secretion of cerumen gland increases rapidly and accumulates in the external ear canal; there are also cases where the discharge of earwax is affected by the narrowing of the external ear canal or the presence of bone warts or foreign bodies. In these cases, the earwax can be pulled out appropriately and will not affect hearing. You should pay special attention to hygiene when pulling out earwax and be careful not to dig through the skin of the ear canal to avoid infection. It is even more important to pay attention to safety and not to laugh and play with others while pulling out the ear to avoid puncturing the eardrum and causing serious consequences. Excessive cerumen and debris in the ear canal mix together to form a large hard mass that completely blocks the outer ear canal. When cerumen is blocked, sound waves cannot be transmitted and hearing loss occurs. When the cerumen is deep and presses against the eardrum, it can cause tinnitus, vertigo, and sometimes even stimulate the nerves to cause reflex coughing. When water enters the ear canal due to bathing or swimming, the water swells up the cerumen mass and deafness is significantly aggravated. At this time, the irritation of the outer ear canal skin by the swollen cerumen can cause inflammation and even erosion, swelling, pain and pus infection. After cerumen embolism, it must be treated by a doctor. The doctor will use a special instrument to remove the cerumen safely to avoid unnecessary trouble.