Ear wax can take on different colours, even if it is mostly yellowish. It suggests your health. In this post, we explain what the different colours mean and when you should see a doctor.
Ear Wax Colour: This Is What It Says About Your Health
Ear wax, also known as cerumen, is the body’s natural mechanism to protect and cleanse the ears. It prevents foreign bodies from entering the body through the ear canals and even prevents infections: environmental influences and the state of health influence the colour of the earwax.
- Red: If your earwax is reddish, there may be two reasons. If your ear is slightly injured inside, there may be a buildup of blood on the wax. This causes it to turn red. After a few weeks, however, this injury should heal on its own.
- Older earwax is also reddish. The secretion continues to darken after its formation. In this case, there is nothing else to worry about.
- Black: If you have black ear wax, it’s just ancient. However, if you experience itching in your ear, you should see a doctor. Then you could have a yeast infection.
- Brown: You can stay calm even with brown ear wax. In stressful situations, the body produces more cerumen, which is darker than usual. If you have brown secretion, you are, therefore, very tense and stressed.
- Gray: Gray is more common among city dwellers. Because a grey colour indicates air pollution and dust, however, if your ear is itchy and the skin is dry or flaky, you should see a doctor. You could have seborrheic eczema.
- White: White ear wax occurs in combination with a dry and crumbly consistency. This indicates a lack of nutrients, especially iron and copper. In this case, you should discuss with your doctor how to compensate for this deficiency.
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