你了解耳垢嗎

Earwax is an unglamorous part of our bodies that many try to avoid thinking about. Although it isn't the most enjoyable topic of discussion, this naturally occurring substance can be an important indicator of your ear health and overall health.

耳垢是我們身體中不太迷人的一部分，很多人都盡量避免去想它。雖然這不是個令人愉快的討論話題，但這種自然產(chǎn)生的物質(zhì)可以成為你耳朵健康和整體健康的重要指標(biāo)。

Earwax, or cerumen, serves as a protector of your ear canal and eardrum. Earwax removes debris from your ear canal as well as prevents germs and foreign particles from getting deep into your ear (via Medical News Today). Plus, your ears are "self-regulating," per Medical News Today, as everyday activities like chewing and speaking cause earwax to move out of the ear.

耳垢，或耳屎，是耳道和耳膜的保護(hù)者。耳垢可以清除耳道內(nèi)的雜物，也可以防止細(xì)菌和外來顆粒進(jìn)入耳朵。此外，據(jù)《今日醫(yī)學(xué)新聞》報道，耳朵是可以“自我調(diào)節(jié)的”，因為日常活動如咀嚼和說話會導(dǎo)致耳垢離開耳朵。

This important stuff can be a variety of colors that change due to infections, injury, or even genetics (via Livestrong). Nevertheless, white, yellow, or orange is considered normal. It's also typically waxy. If your earwax tends to be more of a yellow-to-orange milky texture, you may have an infection. This would likely be coupled with ear discomfort and redness.

這些重要的東西可以是由于感染、受傷甚至基因而改變的各種顏色。然而，正常顏色還是白色、黃色或橙色。質(zhì)地通常也是蠟狀的。如果你的耳垢傾向于黃色到橙色的乳白色質(zhì)地，你可能已經(jīng)感染了。伴隨而來的是耳朵不適和紅腫。

If your earwax is darker than normal, don't panic — it may just be older earwax that has picked up more debris, according to Medical News Today. But if your earwax is a red or black color, it could mean there is bleeding in the ear canal or an older blood clot. Any scrapes or injuries to the ear canal typically remedy themselves, but it is best to see a doctor if you have continual discomfort or wax issues.

據(jù)《今日醫(yī)學(xué)新聞》報道，如果你的耳垢比正常情況下的顏色更深，不要驚慌——這可能只是年老的耳垢帶走了更多的碎片。但如果你的耳垢是紅色或黑色的，這可能意味著耳道有出血或有舊的血凝塊。耳道上的任何擦傷或損傷通常可以自行修復(fù)，但如果你有持續(xù)的不適或耳垢問題，最好去看醫(yī)生。

It's not just the color of your earwax that can help you gauge your health, however. Experts told Livestrong that if the amount of earwax increases or decreases, it could show a change in your overall health or in your ear canals. You may also have drier earwax due to skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, or just genetics.

然而，不僅耳垢的顏色可以幫助你評估你的健康狀況。專家告訴Livestrong，如果耳垢的數(shù)量增加或減少，它可能顯示出你的整體健康或耳道的變化。你也可能因為皮膚狀況如濕疹或牛皮癬，或僅僅是遺傳而有較干燥的耳垢。

All this talk about earwax may have you wanting to do a deep cleaning — but put down the Q-Tips. Using any foreign object to clean your ears like a cotton swab or ear candle can cause more injuries like blockages and discomfort. Safe cleaning can be done by gently washing your outer ears with soap and water and rinse into the ear canal to clear away any wax (via Medical News Today). If you have too much earwax, you can use earwax thinning drops at home, or consult with your medical team about treatment options.

所有這些關(guān)于耳垢的討論可能會讓你想要做一次深度清潔——但是把棉簽放下。使用任何異物來清潔你的耳朵，比如棉簽或耳燭都會造成更多的傷害，如堵塞和不適。安全的清潔方法是，通過用肥皂和水輕輕清洗你的外耳，并沖洗耳道清除耳垢。如果你有太多的耳垢，你可以在家里使用耳垢稀釋劑，或者咨詢你的醫(yī)生。