What is earwax — and should you get rid of it? - Henry C. Ou

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Zoe Walmsley

Investigating a nearly 5,000-year-old Sumerian burial site,

在調查一個近五千年 歷史的蘇美墓地時，

archaeologists came across intriguing sets of artifacts.

考古學家們發現一些有趣的文物。

They judged them to be toiletry kits

他們判斷應該是盥洗用品組，

comprising pointed tools, tweezers, and ear scoops.

裡面有尖頭工具、

鑷子，和耳勺。

In fact, grooming paraphernalia, including earwax removal tools,

事實上，

包含除耳屎工具的隨身梳洗用具

have popped up in many different archaeological sites—

在許多不同的考古遺址都出現過──

and earwax evacuation remains a popular hygienic habit today.

至今，清除耳屎仍是普及的衛生習慣。

But what is earwax?

但，耳屎是什麼？

And are the efforts to eliminate it actually good for us?

花功夫去清耳屎真的有益嗎？

Well, to start, we’re not alone in our waxy ways.

首先，人類並不是唯一有耳屎的動物，

Other mammals also produce earwax.

其他哺乳類動物也會產生耳屎。

A 12-year-old blue whale was discovered with an earwax earplug

曾經有人發現一隻十二歲的藍鯨，

that was 25 centimeters long.

耳內的耳垢長達 25 公分。

Earwax— technically called cerumen— forms in our outer ear canals.

耳屎── 嚴格來說稱作耳垢──

是在外耳道中形成的。

There, skin cells slough off and mix with other substances, including sweat.

皮膚細胞脫落後在那裡 和其他物質（包括汗水）混合，

But the sweat inside our ears doesn’t function to cool us off

但人體耳內的汗水 並沒有幫助我們冷卻的功能，

like the kind that comes out of the eccrine glands dotting our bodies.

不同於分佈人體其他部位的汗腺。

Instead, it comes from apocrine glands, like those in our armpits, and is oilier.

這裡的分泌物其實是來自於頂漿腺，

類似腋下的分泌物，且更油膩。

Dead skin and oily sweat mix with sebum—

死皮及油膩的汗水混合皮脂──

the fatty oil that’s also found on our faces and scalps—

我們的臉和頭皮也有同樣的油脂──

and voila: it’s earwax.

就形成了耳屎。

But earwax ranges in odor, color, and consistency.

但耳屎的氣味、顏色， 和黏稠度不盡相同。

Some is flaky and dry; other kinds are sticky and gooey.

有些是乾燥的片狀，

有些則是又黏又糊。

A change in a single nucleotide on one gene

而你有哪種耳屎則取決於 一個基因中的核甘酸，

determines which type you have

by affecting how much fat your ear’s apocrine sweat glands secrete.

因為它能影響你耳朵的 頂漿腺分泌多少脂肪。

And the kind someone has may track with their ancestry.

而一個人的耳屎類型 還能追溯到他的祖先。

For example, drier earwax is common among people with East Asian heritage,

例如，較乾燥的耳屎

在東亞血統的人當中很常見，

while people of African and European descent more often have wetter earwax.

而非洲和歐洲血統的人

耳屎通常比較濕。

Just to get this out of the way, no human earwax— wet or dry—

順便澄清一下：

人的耳屎（英文直譯是耳蠟）── 不論乾濕──

would make a good candle.

都不是好的蠟燭材料。

Okay, but why have earwax at all?

好，那到底為什麼要有耳屎呢？

Well, it seems these secretions actually help keep our ears healthy.

這些分泌物實際上 有助於保持我們的耳朵健康。

Earwax can act as a lubricator that prevents ear dryness and itchiness;

耳屎可以充當潤滑劑，

預防耳朵乾燥和發癢；

它會捕捉碎屑和微生物， 形成實體的屏障，

it traps debris and microbes and forms a physical barrier

that protects the ear canal’s skin.

保護耳道內的皮膚。

And it’s an active line of defense:

它也是一道主動的防線：

researchers have identified several proteins in earwax

研究者已經發現耳屎中有數種蛋白質，

that combat bacterial infections.

能對抗細菌感染。

Generally, the ear also has its own way of getting rid of earwax.

通常，耳朵自己也有擺脫耳屎的方法。

As new skin cells form and grow at the center of the eardrum,

當新的皮膚細胞 在鼓膜中心形成和生長，

they push the older ones toward the opening of the ear canal,

它們會將老化的細胞推向耳道的開口，

forming a conveyor belt where dead skin cells mix with those oily secretions.

形成一條輸送帶，

在那裡，死皮細胞 和油膩的分泌物混合。

Every day, the skin within the ear canal migrates outwards about 100 micrometers.

每天，耳道中的皮膚

會向外移動大約 100 微米，

Eventually, this process should push the wax out of your ear.

最終，這個過程 會把耳屎從耳朵中推出。

Meanwhile, sticking items in your ears to extract earwax yourself

至於將物品伸入耳中去取出耳屎，

can make things worse.

結果可能更糟。

Even if swabbing removes a little earwax,

即使棉花棒好像能掏出一點耳屎，

it may push more back in.

推回裡面的可能更多。

And it can leave scratches in the ear canal’s skin,

還可能在耳道的皮膚上留下刮痕，

disrupting its natural barrier against infections.

破壞其對抗感染的天然屏障。

Deep cleaning also runs the risk of perforating your eardrum,

深入清潔也有弄破耳膜的風險，

which can cause permanent damage and hearing loss.

還可能造成永久的損傷和聽力喪失。

Some services promise to clear earwax— but should be avoided.

有些服務保證清除耳屎， 但其實應該避免。

Ear candling or coning involves a hollow candle lit on fire

耳燭或耳蠟療法

是將點燃的中空蠟燭

and placed over the ear canal.

置於耳道上方。

It’s claimed that this generates enough air current to pull earwax out.

業者說這會產生 足夠的氣流，將耳屎吸出。

However, researchers have found that the amount of suction generated is minimal

然而，研究人員已經發現

這方法產生的吸力相當小，

and that what’s visible at the end is likely debris from the candle itself—

最後看到的結果 可能是蠟燭本身的碎屑，

not extracted earwax.

而不是吸出來的耳屎。

In reality, the practice can lead to injuries and leave debris in the ears.

實際上，這種做法可能造成傷害，

還將碎屑留在耳朵中。

But some folks are more prone to earwax buildup,

但有些人就是容易堆積耳屎，

and may find it becomes more of an issue with age.

且隨著年齡的增長， 問題會越來越嚴重。

Earwax accumulation can be uncomfortable and affect your hearing,

耳屎的堆積可能會 很不舒服並影響聽力，

and there are definitely times when intervention is needed.

所以必要時還是得處理。

But there are safer ways to go about it.

現在有些比較安全的處理方式。

Over-the-counter eardrops help soften earwax

藥房有些不須處方簽的滴劑 能讓耳屎軟化，

so it can make its way out on its own.

讓耳屎自行脫出。

And health care providers have tried-and-true methods

醫療保健單位也有些經過實證的方法

of gently clearing blockages.

可以溫和地清除阻塞。

Otherwise, to prevent earwax buildup,

否則，若要防止耳屎堆積，

doctors recommend gently cleaning the outside of the ear canal with a damp cloth

醫生建議用濕布 輕輕地清潔耳道外部，

and giving your ears a break from earplugs and earbuds when possible.

常用耳塞或耳塞式耳機的人 也要適時讓耳朵休息一下。

In the absence of earwax obstructions, however,

然而，只要沒有耳屎阻塞的問題，

it’s generally best not to mess with the ways of the wax.

最好不要去干擾耳屎的自然運作。