WEBVTT - Selects: Earwax: Live With It 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:04.440 Hi, folks. Ear Wax colon Live with It is your 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:09.799 Saturday Select this week. This is from March Boy. This 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:12.319 was a good one. There's a lot of a lot 0:00:12.360 --> 0:00:14.480 of things people don't understand about ear wax and what 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:15.920 you should do with it and what you shouldn't do 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:18.799 with it. So this was very instructive for both of 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:21.720 us and should be for you as well. So enjoy 0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:32.440 and don't ear candle for God's sake. Welcome to Stuff 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:41.120 You Should Know, a production of I Heart Radio. Hey, 0:00:41.159 --> 0:00:43.920 and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, There's Charles 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:48.479 w Chuck Bryant, there's Jerry Uh. Yeah, that's stuff you 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:53.360 should know. He just shrugged, like, what are we gonna do? 0:00:53.520 --> 0:01:00.240 That's what we are, episode number seven something. Yeah, I 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:03.160 have no idea. I don't either. In the seven hundreds 0:01:03.160 --> 0:01:05.679 of folks. If you think there's only three hundred because 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:10.119 you're on iTunes, you're in for to be doubly surprised. Yeah. Well, 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:13.560 somebody um tweeted recently, I've just found the How Stuff 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.880 Works app and there's way more stuff you should knows 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:21.039 than there is on iTunes. I hate you guys. Now. Wait, 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:24.440 I was cool with three one. But that's it. I 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:26.480 had someone aska the other day if we feel like 0:01:26.480 --> 0:01:30.160 we're running out of things topics, clearly we are, because 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:34.360 we're recording on your way exactly what you tell him. 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:38.319 Look for boogers in the near future. Um no, I 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:40.959 said no that Sometimes it feels a little like, oh 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:44.200 my gosh, what are gonna do? But there's gazillions of 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:47.520 topics in the world at least, and gazillions of scientific 0:01:47.600 --> 0:01:50.880 that's right. What is that? How many zeros? Is that 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:53.120 a real number? I don't know. I don't think it is. 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:56.680 Let's say it's a real number if you're eight years old, 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:01.680 but watch it probably is a real number. Yeah, I think, Um, 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:07.840 a jillian is a real number. A bazillion jillian definitely is. 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.440 I would guess gazillion is by now I might actually 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:13.640 look that up. I mean, there's just like a handful 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:16.119 of mathematicians who are in charge of naming that kind 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:19.440 of stuff, you know, So chuckers. While you're looking that up, 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:23.480 do you have ear wax? Um? Do you have a a 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:29.480 problem you're wax? None? No, I don't either. No, I 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:32.920 wouldn't say so. Um. It is a little distressing though, 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:36.280 even though we will find out it is awesome and 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:39.040 exactly how it's supposed to work when it just sort 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.960 of falls out of your ear onto your shoulder. Yeah, 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:45.799 that's that's ideal. Actually, yeah, because ear wax and your 0:02:46.440 --> 0:02:50.919 physiology in general doesn't care about what social group you're 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:53.880 a part of. Nope, it's just like, here's some ear 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:57.280 wax on your shoulder. Deal with it. Although and I 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:00.000 didn't look up why this is true. Apparently in northeast 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:03.799 are in Asian countries like Korea and China, um they 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:06.080 there ear wax is a little different. They're more likely 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:08.760 to have the dry ear wax um, which can be 0:03:08.800 --> 0:03:12.320 hard and red to black in color, which sounds gross 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:16.440 and flaky or pale yellow, whereas over here we have 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:22.360 that um nasty, guey orange e mess. Wet ear wax 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:24.959 is what it's called. Yes, And the reason why actually 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:28.280 is because of the ABC leveng gene. Oh is that why? Yeah, 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:32.880 they isolated the gene that causes the type of ear 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:36.320 wax that you get. And it turns out that they 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:41.800 say the w UM mutation is um or the D 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:45.960 mutation dry ear wax is recessive. So the only way 0:03:45.960 --> 0:03:49.400 to get dry ear waxes of both of your parents 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:52.800 have dry ear wax. Both carry the D gene or 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:55.640 D mutation or the ABC leven gene. Well, I have both. 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:59.880 Most people have our w D. Say yeah, so you 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:03.960 have to get too D alleles to dry ear wax 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:06.360 alleles to have dry ear wax yourself. If you have 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:08.720 a W and a D or two ws, you're gonna 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:12.320 have wet and for some read I have both, can't 0:04:12.680 --> 0:04:16.400 you like one year is dry and the other's wet. No, Like, 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:19.200 sometimes you know, if I get the old cotton swab out, 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:23.960 which now you're introducing something way beyond genetics. That's not 0:04:23.960 --> 0:04:27.560 even apo genetics. That's human intervention. The point is, if 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:29.160 I get the cotton swab out, that's when I'll get 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:31.760 out the orange e wax wet stuff. But um, I'll 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.640 also have the dry, flicky stuff that falls out sometimes probably, 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:39.880 I would guess. And I'm no seremon expert, I'm no seaminas. 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:43.279 Now what's the what's the word? Uh? Actually looked it 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:46.520 up for someone who studies this. It has to have 0:04:46.640 --> 0:04:50.560 to do with ceremon m. I can't find it now. 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:56.359 It's so Seamonius doesn't ringing a bell, No, it's wrong. 0:04:57.520 --> 0:04:59.560 I can't find what it is. Sorry, okay, well the 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:02.680 person who still I'm not a person who studies ear wax, 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:06.920 but what I would guess is that when you're when 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:10.240 you're digging in there, you're getting to the fresher ear wax, 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:12.760 That's what I think. And then as it works itself 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:17.200 further and further out your ear, which is the natural process, 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:21.479 it's exposed to drier air, that ambient air, and it 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:23.839 drives out and flakes off, which is what it's supposed 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:26.200 to do. So I don't think you have both. I 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:28.760 think if you have both, the stuff inside your ear 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:31.080 would be drying, would be dry as well. Yeah, okay, 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:33.920 all right, well that makes sense. Um, So what ear 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:37.920 waxes or uh ceramon c E r U M E 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:42.600 N is the scientific name, but I'm sure they call 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:47.719 it wax. It's the third chubby angel. Now that's ceremum. 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:51.960 Oh yeah, um. It is made up of secretions of 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:56.000 a couple of little specialized glands uh in the skin 0:05:56.400 --> 0:06:00.240 on the outer third of the ear canal. Yes, so 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:02.680 you have your sebaceous glands and they're gonna secrete and 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:06.400 these names all sounds so growth really, but they're perfect 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:09.960 for describing what they are. Yeah. Yeah, um. They secrete 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:14.440 sebum A S E V him uh, and then you 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:20.320 have um, an apocrine sweat gland that's modified that produces uh, 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:23.440 it's kind of hem. Yeah, it combine, it combines with 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:26.440 the sebum, and that's where you get your ceremony. And 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.040 so seebam in and of itself is fairly normal. If 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:32.240 you like, take your fingertip and rub it alongside where 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:34.160 your nose folds into your face. Yeah, I get a 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:37.080 little dry in there. That's well if if your stuff 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:40.720 is at all oily, the oil is seebam. So apparently 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:44.839 it mixes in in your ear with the m the 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:48.320 that kind of apocrine gland, like you said, to form ceramon, 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.960 which is its own thing. It's not just see them, right, 0:06:51.360 --> 0:06:56.320 But all of it is basically fatty, oily lipid e 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:02.240 UM compound that's secreted by these glands in the skin cells, 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:07.680 specialized glands. Yeah, about six caratin, which is a protein. 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:11.240 And then like you said, the fatty acids, you've got 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:15.280 dead skin cells, you've got um, hair follicles, dead bugs, 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:20.000 little bugs. Yeah, lots of stuff that comes out in 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:24.480 this and like you like you said dust it probably 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:27.680 dust mites then too, And like you said, um, it's 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:32.040 produced in the inner third of the outer ear outer 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:35.920 one third of the ear canal, okay um. And when 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:40.840 it's produced in there, it's migrates outward thanks to um, 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:46.960 the motion of the ocean, right and you talking and chewing. Oh, 0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:48.760 is that what it is? Yeah, I couldn't figure out, 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:50.840 like how does your ear wax move? But it's just 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:54.440 from jaw movement. Normal jaw movement moves the old or 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:58.280 the newer stuff outward and as it's coming out, all 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:00.680 the gunk and stuff that's protected did your ear from 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:03.120 are moved out with it. So this stuff that flakes 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:06.560 off and falls on your shoulder, uh, that everybody points 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:10.360 and laughs at at the at the party, Um, that 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:12.600 is filled with all the stuff that your ear wax 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:15.840 caught along the way. It's a it's a beautiful, elegant process. 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:22.280 Probably it was beautiful, um, aspect of the entire human experience. Well, 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:25.240 I think you're making a joke, but I really do 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:27.960 think that, Like it's the little things like that about 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:30.040 Like I'm amazed about the function of the brain and 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:32.400 of course the organs and all that. But just something 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:36.920 as simple as that, mechanical talking and chewing will work 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:39.640 ear wax out of your ear. It's just so basic 0:08:39.760 --> 0:08:42.920 in I think it's awesome and I think it's really cool. 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:45.240 Actually I know. To me, I agree with you. Um, 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:49.200 so some people produce a lot of this. Um, I 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:52.439 was gonna say gross stuff. But have you seen Paddington 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:55.719 the movie? Yeah? No, I heard it was really good. 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:59.000 It's very good, super super cute, really well done. Why 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:01.800 did you see that? Just because it's a cute movie? 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:06.160 Really yeah? Um, sold in theaters and everything. Um, please 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:08.880 tell me you took you me? Yeah, And as a 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:10.280 matter of fact, it was just me and you, me 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:12.480 in the whole theater. But if it's just you and 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:15.640 no kids, you, then it's like somebody you might want 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:18.680 to call that security, and they did. I'm just a 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:23.080 Paddington fan, um, but I am now. So anyway, Um, 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:25.880 there is a part where there's a part featuring ear 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:29.640 wax in Paddington and it's it does not celebrate the 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:32.680 beauty of ear wax. It's the exact opposite. And actually, 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:37.600 you me was like, god, it was really gross, but 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:43.720 just awesome. So anyway, Gussie, Gussie Paddington. Is that a spoiler? Okay, 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:46.800 I don't think so. Maybe for like a five year 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:50.400 old you know. Um. So, like I said, some people 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:53.360 produce a lot of the stuff. Um, some people don't 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:57.000 produce as much, and they don't really know why, but 0:09:57.080 --> 0:10:01.080 they do know that sometimes stress an anxiety, um can 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:05.640 increase production of ear wax, which makes interesting hormones Sure, 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:09.280 hormones affected your glands go off. It also said that 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:13.440 some drugs can increase your ear wax production. And I 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:15.960 looked all over and did you find the drugs? But 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:21.280 if stress and anxiety does hiahuasca, I imagine, yeah, cocaine 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:24.000 would probably make you produce more ear wax or something 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:27.000 oh yeah, when you put that stuff in your ear, yeah, 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:29.200 or something that makes you like cheer your jaw a lot. 0:10:29.559 --> 0:10:34.120 Oh sure, that could probably get more ear wax out. Yeah. Interesting, 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:38.000 I never thought about that. I couldn't find any anything else. 0:10:38.559 --> 0:10:41.160 Um is gross as you might think. Ear waxes, though, 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:44.200 it actually is a great thing for your body. And 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:47.000 there's a very good reason, uh why you have it, 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:50.600 because there are four main functions that your ear wax 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:54.040 is going to serve. My friend, Uh, one of them 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:57.480 is it creates an acidic environment. That's great. That kills 0:10:57.520 --> 0:11:02.760 helps kill bacteria and fung gi. Oh even better. Number two, 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:05.920 um it is, well that's that's a big deal too, 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:08.920 because your ear, your inner ear, like that is really 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:11.400 a place where fungus in bacteria would thrive because it's 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:15.360 moist and dark. And you know what we always say 0:11:15.360 --> 0:11:19.120 about moist dark places, fun Guy thrives. That's right. Um. 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:22.160 The thing is is, it doesn't seem like that be 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:24.520 a big problem to have fun Guy in your ear, 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:29.319 but it would because it would affect things like your balance, nausea, 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:33.360 ear aches. Um, it just wouldn't be good. So the 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:37.120 fact that earwax produces in a city environment alone makes 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:39.680 your wax a beautiful thing and to be celebrated. So 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:41.560 if we did, we could just stop there. We could, 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:43.280 but you can go on. Like you said, there's four 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:47.400 and that was just one quarter of these these benefits 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:51.600 that your x pistos. Uh. Secondly, it is a lube. Um. 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:55.640 It lubricates your ear canal basically to keep it from 0:11:55.720 --> 0:11:59.199 drying out. And um, you know you don't want the 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:04.040 inner ear become all like itchy and dry and craggedy, 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:06.400 and you want to hear something weird that I've a 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:10.640 new personal hygiene thing I have to do as of yesterday, 0:12:10.760 --> 0:12:13.680 starting yesterday, something I'll probably have to do my whole 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:16.400 lot hair. I have to moisturize my ears. Now. I 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:18.120 thought you're gonna say hair inside the ear. I was like, 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:20.880 I have been doing that for a while. It's getting 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:25.320 I got a little fro inside ear fro. Yeah, but no, 0:12:25.520 --> 0:12:28.600 like taking moisturizer and like rubbing on my ears because 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:31.520 I got a haircat yesterday and like my ears were 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.080 exposed and all of a sudden, I'm like, wait, why 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:36.520 is like there a streak of white on my ear 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:39.160 and they're bright red? And I realized, like my ears 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:42.000 are chapped and that is brand new or else I 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:45.319 just noticed it. So I'm an ear moisturizer. Now, Yeah, 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:48.520 you had that seventies uh ear muff hairstyle cut off 0:12:48.520 --> 0:12:50.719 of your ears so your ears were exposed. Yeah, it 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:52.920 was pretty seventies, wasn't well. I was growing my hair 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:56.720 out to to create like a blank slate of you 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:58.800 know that could be worked with. It was kind of 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:01.360 longish for you. I was really long, and it it 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:04.880 was that seventies, like your muff thing wasn't quite it 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:08.640 was getting there. It looks good, very nice. Thanks. Did 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:11.120 that make you uncomfortable? No, I was fishing for that 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.079 the whole reason I brought that story. You looked either 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:19.439 sheepish or really uncomfortable with a little bit both. Alright, gotcha? Alright? 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:24.080 Number three on top four things that earwax does. Uh 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:28.880 is your ceremon and your hair just like let him exactly, Um, 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:33.680 it's gonna discouraged. Uh. Everyone's worst nightmare, which is a 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:37.480 spider crawling in there, which I covered. Uh, you know 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:39.400 that happened to Emily. I think I talked about that 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:42.679 on one of the shows. That was genuinely one of 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:46.400 the most awesome things that I've ever experienced, because it 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:49.000 did not happen to me. Wasn't there a picture? Didn't 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:52.720 you post a picture of it or something like that? Um? No, 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:56.240 but there I think I I posted a picture of 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.240 a happening to one woman in China. I think that 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:01.920 was rightening, and it was a picture of a spider 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:05.480 looking out of the woman's ear. Canal right, Yeah, yeah, 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:07.600 but Emily's If people haven't heard this story, it was 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:10.000 I think it was in the middle of the night 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:12.520 or something. She was like, I got this weird fluttering 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:14.640 in my ear and I don't know what's going on 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:16.240 in there. And I was like, well, you know. It 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:18.440 took her in the bathroom and shined a light and 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:21.800 I was like, holy crap, and the spider I think work, 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:24.680 didn't it with the flashlight? Remember, like, if you look 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:28.760 at your I don't know, did the very saying yes, yes, okay, 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:32.200 so there you go. Well, all I remember thinking is Emily, 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:33.920 I don't want to have to break this to you, 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:35.800 but you have the spider in your ear. You didn't 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:40.520 like chloroformer first? I should have. Yeah. She was not 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.240 excited about that. She was not pumped. But so, well, 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:45.920 what was the process for getting it out? Well, I've 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:49.800 looked on the internet super quickly, um to see how 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:53.480 and they said to flush it out and um just 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:56.960 like a little warm. Oh my gosh, you did use tweezers. Yeah, 0:14:56.960 --> 0:14:58.760 And I put the water in there and it kind 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:01.080 of um loosened it up. And went in there and 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:02.840 got the tweet sers and I was like, look at this. 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.520 How big was it? Oh? I mean it wasn't huge, 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:10.200 but it was it was enough spider for her taste. Yeah, 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:12.920 more than enough, right, dude, it was. I can't imagine 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:16.400 that some people like sleep with vaseline in their ears 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:20.520 to keep bugs from crawling in. Yeah, like that is 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:23.560 a thing. Yeah, I mean people don't want bugs in 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:26.280 their ears. No, but that's taken. I mean, that's just parent. 0:15:26.320 --> 0:15:28.200 It's severe paranois. I think if you're sleeping with your 0:15:28.240 --> 0:15:30.560 muff or vaselly in your ears, you know your muffs. 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:34.800 Idn't thought about that, so you all right? And number 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:38.480 four finally is um, your ear wax is gonna trap 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:42.320 some dead skin and hair cells and basically all of 0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:45.480 that junk to carry it back out to keep it clean. 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:48.600 So it sounds sort of counterintuitive to trap that stuff, 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:51.840 but it's trapping it so it can carry it out. 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:53.480 And if you didn't have the ear wax, it would 0:15:53.520 --> 0:15:55.600 just go in there, right, And if you chew things 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:59.600 like celery and you talk, then that your wax is 0:15:59.600 --> 0:16:02.400 going to work its way out in a slow process 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:04.760 where all this stuff is cleaned out and you don't 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:08.160 ever have to do anything with it under ideal circumstances. 0:16:08.480 --> 0:16:12.760 Not always are circumstances ideal. And we'll talk about how 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:32.280 things can go wrong after this, Okay, chuck. So ideally 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:34.400 you don't have to ever think about ear wax or 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:36.480 anything like they except to brush it off your shoulder. Right. 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:40.960 But um, for some people, ear wax can build up 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:44.080 and become impacted a lot of times it's because people 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:47.280 mess with it, like with cotton swabs on a stick. 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:51.600 You know, you may have seen the advertisement the Big Game. 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:54.960 You're just called cotton swabs, right yeah, okay, Um, so 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:59.720 when uh if you use that, a lot of people 0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:02.200 use those to clear out their ear wax, right Yeah, 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:05.120 you're not supposed to know it's doing the exact opposite, 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:09.840 because your ear wax is um created and moves from 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:14.440 the outside third of your inner ear um. When you 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:18.120 rub a cotton swab on it, you're actually pushing it 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:21.639 in further than it's supposed to be, and it it 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:24.000 can't get out is easily there. So what you're going 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:27.120 to do eventually is have ear wax build up. Yeah, 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:29.800 And it's it's so hard to get people to not 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:34.400 do that because it's so um rewarding. When you get 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:36.159 out of the shower and you use that swab and 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:37.880 you get that orange kunk and you're like, oh man, 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:40.560 I'm so glad that's out of my body. But it's 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:42.879 it's got a purpose. Leave it there. You're supposed to 0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:46.320 leave it there. Plus there's I mean, using cotton swabs 0:17:46.320 --> 0:17:48.960 can lead to other kinds of dangers, like you can 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:52.800 push too hard and prefer your ear drums. You're I 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:54.640 think it really is true. You're not supposed to put 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:57.040 anything larger than the end of a football in your 0:17:57.080 --> 0:18:03.600 ear um. You can all so clean it too much. Yeah, 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:07.320 it can result in something called swimmer's ear. We're basically 0:18:07.400 --> 0:18:09.320 for people who spend a lot of time in the pool. 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:15.480 Their ears are constantly irrigated and the canal becomes basically 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:19.400 free of um of ear wax, and as a result, 0:18:20.000 --> 0:18:22.480 bad things can happen. Yeah, And they say, if you 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:25.439 do have swimmers ear, um, put a few drops of 0:18:25.480 --> 0:18:32.000 an acidic slightly acidic, not acid like hydrochloric. Let's put 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:35.720 a gallondrome, a hydrocord. What is a slightly acidic fluid? 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.520 I wonder, Uh, mayby lemon juice. That's what I would guess, 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:41.639 That's probably what I would do. I hope we're not 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:44.160 advising something that's really nat As a matter of fact, 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:46.680 maybe you should go look up what you should put 0:18:46.720 --> 0:18:49.320 in there or go to your doctor. Yes, but they 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:52.840 advise some slightly acidic fluid in the ear after you swim, 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:55.560 and that established re establishes what should be a normal 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:59.040 acidic environment. Yeah, because you when you strip out that 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.600 ear wax, you lose those big four benefits and all 0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:04.160 of a sudden, your ear is dry and cracky, and 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:06.720 you've got fungus and bacteria growing in there, and you 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:10.560 get ear infections and it's not fun. The big four um. 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:14.960 You and back to creating a build up of ear wax, 0:19:15.040 --> 0:19:18.880 you get what's called ceramon impaction. And that is when 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:21.879 like you have a bunch of ear wax pressed against 0:19:22.000 --> 0:19:25.840 your ear drum and it can result in all sorts 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:32.320 of stuff like headaches, nausea, ear aches, coughing for some reason. Um. 0:19:32.520 --> 0:19:35.480 And that can be from using Q tips. People who 0:19:35.720 --> 0:19:38.520 use hearing aids run into this a lot. Uh. And 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:42.359 when your ceramon becomes impacted, you have to go to 0:19:42.440 --> 0:19:45.399 the doctor. That's right. Which my sweet wife had to 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:47.120 go to the doctor when she was a little girl 0:19:47.160 --> 0:19:52.680 because ear wax impaction. Yeah, and uh she said it sucked. Well, 0:19:52.720 --> 0:19:54.880 when you go to the doctor if it comes to that, Um, 0:19:54.920 --> 0:19:58.480 they're gonna have quite a few techniques they could use. Um, 0:19:58.600 --> 0:20:02.440 ear syringing is one of them, and then comes painful. 0:20:02.680 --> 0:20:04.119 It does. I don't think it is, though. I bet 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:07.840 it's actually quite a relief. Yeah, that's not how I 0:20:07.920 --> 0:20:10.600 hear it. Really is it painful? Yeah? Umi says it 0:20:10.680 --> 0:20:13.000 really is not fun. Well I didn't know if that 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:15.560 was like a five year old Umi or well yeah, yeah, 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:17.919 but even as an adult she remembers it as not 0:20:18.000 --> 0:20:22.000 being very fun. Is Paddington, Umi, Maybe that's why she 0:20:22.040 --> 0:20:26.440 had such a reaction. Um, they'll use other instruments. Sometimes 0:20:26.480 --> 0:20:29.080 you'll use a microphone or I'm sorry, a microscope would 0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:33.720 be weird. To magnify the ear canal, they shout into 0:20:33.800 --> 0:20:38.600 it to shatter your ear wax. Um, and some people 0:20:38.680 --> 0:20:42.720 have a more narrow ear canal. Or if you have 0:20:42.800 --> 0:20:46.760 a perforated ear drum or something that can be a problem. Um, 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:49.000 basically you want to go to a doctor. You could 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:53.400 try some home methods like peroxide or maybe mineral oil. Yeah, 0:20:53.520 --> 0:20:56.320 apparently warm mineral oil kind of breaks it up a 0:20:56.320 --> 0:20:58.080 little bit. Yeah, I used to. That's one of my 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:00.600 most pleasing memories as a kid, when I had ear aches. 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:03.520 As my mom would like heat up mineral oil and 0:21:03.560 --> 0:21:05.960 put in my arrows. But that was nice, really nice. 0:21:06.000 --> 0:21:09.840 It's very warm and when for some reason, I like 0:21:10.000 --> 0:21:13.879 the feeling of water closing my ear, like when I 0:21:13.880 --> 0:21:17.040 get into a pool. Oh yeah, but probably because of that, 0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:19.919 yeah maybe, so I didn't think about that. Do you 0:21:19.960 --> 0:21:22.520 like that or is it what I just you just 0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:27.320 like crawling into the field. Why is chuck just floating 0:21:27.320 --> 0:21:31.000 in the pool like the baby? Um? I know, I've 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:33.080 never had much of an affinity for water in my 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:35.560 ears because some people hate it. I don't hate it. 0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:38.200 I don't like it, and like, you know, I'll bang 0:21:38.240 --> 0:21:39.919 on the side of my head if it feels like 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:43.680 there's like a drop of water in there. Does that work? Uh? 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:46.719 It can not always? I think normally the water just 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:50.240 has to dry right. Sometimes I get dizzy in my head. 0:21:51.720 --> 0:21:53.520 I used to see when I lifeguarded. I would see 0:21:53.520 --> 0:21:55.840 swim team members do that, though, and I was always like, 0:21:55.880 --> 0:21:58.120 I don't know if that just doesn't seem right. Once 0:21:58.119 --> 0:22:01.159 in a while it does and it just goes and 0:22:01.160 --> 0:22:04.200 all of a sudden you can hear normally again. Interesting. 0:22:04.960 --> 0:22:06.680 I didn't see the reason for this though, But they 0:22:06.680 --> 0:22:10.040 did UM in this one article I saw have caution 0:22:10.119 --> 0:22:18.200 people against ear irrigation if you had diabetes. What? Yeah, why, 0:22:18.240 --> 0:22:21.520 I have no idea. I meant to follow up on that. 0:22:21.600 --> 0:22:24.159 So we don't know what drugs cause an increase in 0:22:24.200 --> 0:22:26.880 ear wax build up, and we don't know why if 0:22:26.880 --> 0:22:31.440 you have diabetes you shouldn't do your canal irrigation. I 0:22:31.480 --> 0:22:34.040 don't know. They said not to use irrigation if you 0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:37.280 have a perforated ear drum, get that tube in the 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:42.560 ear drum a weekend immune system or diabetes. Huh. I 0:22:42.600 --> 0:22:44.840 have no idea. I don't have to follow up on 0:22:45.280 --> 0:22:48.439 social media and let people know UM. But they do 0:22:48.520 --> 0:22:50.160 say if you do want to clean your ear, it's 0:22:50.160 --> 0:22:53.359 not like you can't clean your ears, but just wash 0:22:53.400 --> 0:22:56.000 your external ear with a cloth. But you should never 0:22:56.400 --> 0:23:00.320 stick something into your ear canal Right, it's just good. 0:23:00.320 --> 0:23:04.960 But it's interesting that the cotton swab businesses huge. I mean, 0:23:04.960 --> 0:23:07.640