Ever wonder why do we get earwax? For your information, earwax plays a crucial role in keeping your ears healthy and clean. Unfortunately, earwax is a genuine issue, especially when it’s wet earwax.
So, what’s earwax? Earwax is a substance secreted by glands in the ear canal. Earwax helps keep the ear canal clean, which is what lets you hear. The sebaceous glands and the ceruminous glands work together to make earwax.
Sticky or flaky earwax is meant to trap dirt, kept ears from drying out, protected against infection, and maintained the right PH.
Two main types of earwax
Everyone knows that there are two main types of earwax: dry and wet. But do you know that earwax is made of different substances that are determined by your genes and ethnicity?
Interestingly, there are a lot more lipids in wet earwax, which makes it thick and sticky. Most people who have European or African roots have it. However, people in East Asia are most likely to have dry, flaky earwax.
So, why do some people have dry earwax and some have wet earwax? This is because of the hereditary variation. A hereditary variation of the ABCC11 gene causes East Asian earwax to be dry, grey, and flaky than that of other populations.
This genotype is very incredible because it also indicates that the individual does not have stinky armpits.
In addition to that, a study in 2013 found that as earwax types and body odor are controlled by the same genetic code, they appear to have a close relationship with one another. This means, people who have dry earwax do not have body odor; people who have wet earwax, have body odor.
Sources: Atlas Bio Med, Science Direct