Our ear wax can tell us a lot about what’s happening inside our bodies

It really is not my favourite topic by any means and kind of yuck to talk about but just like most excretions out our bodies, ear wax can tell us a few things about what is really going on inside our bodies.

The colour and consistency of war wax can raise an alert for us to further investigate potential health issues or let us know that all is working well. What is the ‘right colour’ anyway. Earwax can range in colour from off-white to black. The most common colour you would be familiar with is an amber orange to light brown and is a wet and sticky consistency.

The colour of earwax is usually related to its age; the lighter in colour the newer the earwax. This can also be true with the texture; the dryer the earwax, the older it is. However, ear wax can also be different across race and ethnicity¹. Your ear wax may be drier and flakier if you are from East Asia or Native American while wet sticky ear wax is more common among other populations.

And unfortunately, the older you get, excessive ear wax is a common problem that needs to be monitored as it often goes unnoticed and can pose serious problems to your hearing.

If too much earwax builds up and becomes hard, it blocks the ear which is painful and potentially, damaging.

So, what colours of earwax² should we be looking out for that could potentially be a sign of a health issue.

1. Yellow to green and watery
   Runny pus drainage could be due to an ear infection

2. Green
   Strong odour could indicate a significant ear infection or even damage to the middle part of your ear

3. Wax with streaks of blood
   Could potentially be because of a scratch, injury, or insect bite in the ear canal or even a ruptured eardrum if the wax is wet and runny

4. Gray
   This could be a build-up of dust or other particles in the ear

5. Black
   Wax build-up

An earwax blockage may cause several symptoms, some mentioned above but also include;

• tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ear
• vertigo, or a sense of being unbalanced that can lead to dizziness and nausea
• a cough, due to pressure from the blockage stimulating a nerve in the ear
• and an excessive build-up of earwax is the reason behind many hearing-aid faults

For most of us, we can treat our earwax issues at home but sometimes these traditional methods such as the cotton swab, can push the earwax further down the canal and make the problem worse.

It may be time to get an expert to tackle that earwax blockage with safe and effective techniques, like microsuction, to safely get those ears squeaky clean again. You even get a quick hearing check once complete to ensure all is clear and working well.

Book your ear wax removal appointment today here.  

Wax removal is now available in our Melbourne, Brisbane, and Gold Coast clinics. Value Hearing is an independent hearing care practice.

11 https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearinginternational/2011/racial-differences-in-cerumen-type-and-consistency/

2 https://entsalem.com/what-your-earwax-says-about-your-health/