Excessive Ear Wax

You know, I never even thought of my ear wax as excessive. Until the "No Q-tip" nonsense started a couple years ago ((I find the idea that I am incapable of operating a q-tip highly offensive. What's next?))

I clean my ears every day, sometimes twice a day. If I don't one of two things happen;

1) My ears get completely clogged (seriously, one could use tweezers to pull out an ear canal shaped candle -along with the lovely feeling of ripping out all the little hairs, owee) in a couple days or

2) Ear wax just starts draining out of my ears. Like teaspoons all over my pillow at night. Then it starts to dry and they clog.

I just have to laugh at people who say "No one" needs to clean their ears. That's like saying no one gets migraines. Just because most people might not, doesn't mean it's true for everyone!

It's never been a problem, because as a kid, it was part of my bathing ritual to have my ears cleaned, and as an adult, I clean my own durn ears (have since I was 9 or 10). 4 q-tips on both sides per ear. Easy. Takes longer to wash my face

I'm not prone to ear infections (I've only ever had one). I have phenom hearing (dog range and better... even in my 30's I can hear the 'mosquito' ring tones teens use that supposedly no one over 20 or 25 should be able to hear). The navy even tried to poach me from the usmc at a few different points to work in sonar (no thanks!). I have perfect and absolute pitch (it's why I don't sing, I cannot match my voice, although one every test I've ever taken I can match any tone/pitch/key/whatever very easily). Awesome hearing.

Sometimes I wonder if my waxiness is part of the acute hearing. As in my ears produce more wax because my hearing is so sensitive.

Maybe. Maybe not.

I'm "oily" or "wet" in general. I almost never need moisturizer or any other kind of lubricant. I can swim for hours without my skin degrading. I just so happen to have kick but sebaceous glands, mucus, tears, saliva,etc. Most of the time (especially in deserts and bodies of water) it's pretty useful. Sometimes it's a pain (sinus infections I AM prone to, too much mucus from minor iritants HURTS). <shrugs> It's just how I am. In the desert or in the water, I'm just really at home. So the excess wax could just be my body overproducing another bodily 'fluid'.

Ear eczema can cause excessive ear wax and drainage.

# 2 and 4 have horrible wax drainage. Its thick and an orangish brown color. They have it every day that needs to be cleaned out of the outer ear. #2 has had to go in and have the Dr flush his ears a few times because he can't hear. Its unreal ( and pretty disgusting) the amount that comes out of his ears!

The rest of us we barly ever have to clean our outer ear because of wax. Maye once a month my inner will bother me and a q tip on each side does the trick.... Im not sure what causes it the dr told me some people just produce more than others.

A few months ago my son failed his school hearing test. He had too much wax in his ear. While the nurse was flushing the wax out I asked why he had so much. She said sometimes you go through a really waxey period and sometimes you don't. Is it ear wax or fluid? Why would they put him on an antibiotic for ear wax? I would love to know the reason. My son had ear infection after ear infections when he was a baby and I don't remember tons of wax. I am always curious about ear issues.

One of my sons is an earwax machine. There is really nothing you can do about it. The Dr. can flush it out, but probably not with tubes.

I think some people are just prone to it, as Riley said.

For my son (and husband actually) it is a sure fire sign of a severe food intolerance . . . they are both sensitive to gluten and dairy.