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

Explore why earwax forms, its purpose in our health, and whether or not we should be trying to get rid of it.
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Grooming paraphernalia has been found in numerous archeological sites, many of which have included earwax removal tools. And earwax evacuation remains a popular hygienic habit today. But what is earwax? And are the efforts to eliminate it actually good for us? Henry C. Ou explores the important role earwax plays in our health.
Lesson by Henry C. Ou, directed by Yuriy Polyashko, Max Zaglotskyi, Darvideo Animation Studio.
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View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-ea...
Dig deeper with additional resources: ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-ea...
Animator's website: darvideo.tv
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Kyanta Yap, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Yvette Mocete, Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti, Hoai Nam Tran, Kack-Kyun Kim, Michael Braun-Boghos, zjweele13, Anna-Pitschna Kunz, Edla Paniguel, Thomas Mungavan, Jaron Blackburn, Venkat Venkatakrishnan, ReuniteKorea and Aaron Henson.

Пікірлер: 598

  • @PramkLuna
    @PramkLunaАй бұрын

    "No human earwax, wet or dry, would make a good candle" TED ED answering the real questions

  • @dirtdoes6272

    @dirtdoes6272

    Ай бұрын

    Fr

  • @gardnerhill9073

    @gardnerhill9073

    Ай бұрын

    Confirming Mythbusters' findings.

  • @DanielLCarrier

    @DanielLCarrier

    Ай бұрын

    But why? They can't just say that and not give an explanation.

  • @NinjaFlibble

    @NinjaFlibble

    Ай бұрын

    Next question: is ogre earwax made of the same stuff? 🤔

  • @RosheenQuynh

    @RosheenQuynh

    Ай бұрын

    @@NinjaFlibble Finally, someone mentioned this!

  • @kryptonsa36
    @kryptonsa36Ай бұрын

    My craziest moment as a kid was pulling an insect completely mummified in earwax out of my ear. Never doubted the usefulness of earwax since.

  • @northernlines2652

    @northernlines2652

    Ай бұрын

    🔥

  • @IlPookiell

    @IlPookiell

    Ай бұрын

    Wow, my biggest fear is an insect crawling into my ear

  • @jabadabadu7089

    @jabadabadu7089

    Ай бұрын

    Glad it wasn't a dinosaur fossil 😁

  • @jamiehughes5573

    @jamiehughes5573

    Ай бұрын

    Mmm extra protein

  • @ZealGames

    @ZealGames

    Ай бұрын

    2 words.. Night mare fuel

  • @scottastbury7213
    @scottastbury7213Ай бұрын

    Me eating peanut butter while watching this was a mistake.

  • @Mu51kM4n

    @Mu51kM4n

    Ай бұрын

    That's funny, exactly what I was eating while watching😂

  • @sharronhankins7722

    @sharronhankins7722

    Ай бұрын

    😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

  • @louisianarainwater

    @louisianarainwater

    Ай бұрын

    😁😁😁

  • @ElieHaykal

    @ElieHaykal

    Ай бұрын

    perfect timing :)

  • @Eleora1997Msia

    @Eleora1997Msia

    Ай бұрын

    Oily and waxy Yummy 😮

  • @AmmoBloke
    @AmmoBlokeАй бұрын

    TedEx should consider adding audio to their videos.

  • @birukgossaye2187

    @birukgossaye2187

    Ай бұрын

    Lmao this was funny

  • @thatwarlock7512

    @thatwarlock7512

    Ай бұрын

    Obligatory "ermmm... Maybe you should try to pick the excess wax that's in your ears because the video HAS audio ☝️🤓" comment

  • @carmensfootstool7377

    @carmensfootstool7377

    Ай бұрын

    This is so underrated 😭😭

  • @theunknown7540

    @theunknown7540

    Ай бұрын

    😂😂😂😂

  • @tomasiobermudez2588

    @tomasiobermudez2588

    Ай бұрын

    @@thatwarlock7512LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO

  • @rafaelgabriel101
    @rafaelgabriel101Ай бұрын

    I just heard my earwaxes speak: "Don't you dare get rid of me."

  • @s-viper1462

    @s-viper1462

    Ай бұрын

    That's the snail in your head

  • @samkresil6011

    @samkresil6011

    Ай бұрын

    XD

  • @Synth_ansel

    @Synth_ansel

    Ай бұрын

    lol

  • @klym8_

    @klym8_

    Ай бұрын

    bro sounds like you be dealing with some mental illness there

  • @Eleora1997Msia

    @Eleora1997Msia

    Ай бұрын

    Me too...

  • @lillywho
    @lillywhoАй бұрын

    4:35 There are even candles for that purpose that are actually designed to look like ear wax at the core, so that the debris it leaves behind makes you think you got the gunk out!!

  • @xirfan

    @xirfan

    Ай бұрын

    You could sniff it to determine if it's ear wax or not, it has a unique odour.

  • @ImHeadshotSniper

    @ImHeadshotSniper

    Ай бұрын

    sooo many gimmicky fraudulent products and services out there..

  • @lillywho

    @lillywho

    Ай бұрын

    @@ImHeadshotSniper Welcome to late stage capitalism!

  • @ImHeadshotSniper

    @ImHeadshotSniper

    Ай бұрын

    @@lillywho true, but to be fair, i partially blame unscientific traditions for enabling a society of believers of these traditions to be exploited by things they don't understand. this exploitation has been happening before capitalist societies existed. speaking of which, i feel like a large majority of ancient cultural traditions such as medicines which turned out to be provably useless or mildly toxic, were probably embedded with old narcissists obsessed with being called "wise", dictating how the world works. i know it's a huge afterthought to look down on people of that time when information was hard to come by, but when you learn about something as simple and fundamental as the scientific method, or some ancient form of it, we really could have been flying through determining whether or not things were true thousand of years before we finally did, but we didn't, i feel largely because of completely baseless traditions zombifying peoples beliefs.

  • @pvanukoff

    @pvanukoff

    Ай бұрын

    @@lillywho Just capitalism really. Snake oil type products have always been sold, going back centuries.

  • @panzer_TZ
    @panzer_TZАй бұрын

    Recently learned this hard way. Bad allergies irritated my inner ear and it was difficult to hear. I thought the issue was too much earwax, so I used an ear wax remover. Took a shower, water got in and both ears got horrible infections. Absolute agony for 2 weeks. After such an agonizing experience, I'll never purposefully try to remove earwax for as long as I live.

  • @hari_sluvmaze7

    @hari_sluvmaze7

    Ай бұрын

    Did your hearing difficulty go away on its own after a few days

  • @Kaiverze

    @Kaiverze

    Ай бұрын

    I feel you. In my case (though not sure if it's also due to shower water getting in) I occasionally get vertigo from over cleaning my ears and removing earwax. I try to be more careful when doing so but it still happens, like just this morning.

  • @gameking3278

    @gameking3278

    Ай бұрын

    I was born with abnormally, narrow canals and when I was in my teens, I ended up getting an infection in one of them. I have tried so many different methods for getting earwax and there’s only one that actually works. I bought an earwax removal tool that can connect to my phone which allows me to see inside my ear while I am scooping earwax out. The tool has a camera and its own Wi-Fi, which means that I can actually see where the tool goes by looking at my phone. Also, Debrox makes a huge difference. If you have a severe amount of earwax in your ear canals, you can soften it by dropping a couple drops of it for a few minutes.

  • @evancombs5159

    @evancombs5159

    Ай бұрын

    I had a similar experience. It would happen regularly, but I found using an ear scoop to clear out just a small amount near the edge was enough to make it easier for the earwax to push out preventing it from happening again.

  • @Piquliar

    @Piquliar

    Ай бұрын

    @@Kaiverze Hmm, maybe that's why I've been getting vertigo more often these days. I'll try not clearing the wax out to see if I feel better.

  • @kidbonesonline
    @kidbonesonlineАй бұрын

    Was just cleaning my ears out when this popped up in my notifications. How convenient.

  • @AkashYadav-qs1cv

    @AkashYadav-qs1cv

    Ай бұрын

    FBI loves u

  • @HeLithium

    @HeLithium

    Ай бұрын

    Same here!

  • @seethalakshmi5105

    @seethalakshmi5105

    Ай бұрын

    We hope you enjoyed our algorithm

  • @lawrencefrost9063

    @lawrencefrost9063

    Ай бұрын

    Yet I have not thought about ear wax, wax, ears or anything like it for weeks. I'm not amazed.

  • @mickmash13
    @mickmash13Ай бұрын

    My friend is a med student studying to be an ENT (ear nose throat). The amount of ranting I've heard about q-tips and ear candling is amazing.

  • @jackjack4412

    @jackjack4412

    Ай бұрын

    My dad works in the medical field and used to rant about Q Tips lol

  • @cavi5514
    @cavi5514Ай бұрын

    As someone who has managed to clean out the wax thoroughly enough my doctor has commented on it, it’s not worth succeeding. Because once it’s that clean you can feel it forming again/migrating. The only way to stop that feeling (besides continuing the cycle) is to let it build up again to healthy levels. Also leaves your ears vulnerable and more likely to ache from activities that expose your ears to weather/temperature changes.

  • @npccoco
    @npccocoАй бұрын

    I got the notification as I was picking my ear

  • @bob1234881

    @bob1234881

    Ай бұрын

    They are watching you. 😂

  • @willkurteff-schatz4669
    @willkurteff-schatz4669Ай бұрын

    Keep going strong ted!

  • @ConradCaribou
    @ConradCaribouАй бұрын

    5:22 Ah-ha! This settles the Over Ear Headphones Vs. Ear Buds debate! It totally knew I was on the right side with the former.

  • @Gabbro_1

    @Gabbro_1

    Ай бұрын

    who debates that

  • @its_dey_mate

    @its_dey_mate

    Ай бұрын

    @@Gabbro_1 High quality IEMs vs Headphones are actually a rather debated topic among audiophiles.

  • @chrisrubin6445

    @chrisrubin6445

    Ай бұрын

    wtf? thats so obvious! did you really need a 5 minute video to tell you what your brain already knew?

  • @mar35962

    @mar35962

    Ай бұрын

    ​@@its_dey_matetf is an audiophile? a person attracted to audios?

  • @its_dey_mate

    @its_dey_mate

    Ай бұрын

    @@mar35962 I initially thought so, apparently it's just guys who are *very* nerdy about audio.

  • @RosheenQuynh
    @RosheenQuynhАй бұрын

    I'm SO glad earwax buildup was mentioned, I was getting worried for a minute there! Mine got so bad that I was partially deaf (well, my hearing was muffled) for three days! I had to go to the ER to get it all out. Gonna have to invest in those gentle methods cuz the buildup is constant.

  • @peterrudy9207

    @peterrudy9207

    16 сағат бұрын

    Many home remedies now to remove it . Even a spray bottle to put warm water and hose with tip to put into the ear canal and squeeze the handle . For my normal buildup I use Debrox , ear drops and works fine . Another one I think is Dr. Ear Drops ? Or to use hydrogen peroxide , periodically . And maybe to buy am cheap scope for someone to see inside your ear canals .

  • @SciMinute
    @SciMinuteАй бұрын

    Thank you, TED-ED, for consistently producing such wonderful videos!

  • @hominidan
    @hominidanАй бұрын

    This is definitely the most beautiful video on earwax I've seen today. Also incredibly cool of Mr. Narrator to read my thought on candles

  • @litera_cj
    @litera_cjАй бұрын

    "Health care providers have tried and true methods of gently clearing blockages." Based on personal experience, this tends to consist of blasting water directly into the ear until whatever is blocking the ear washes out. It's the method I use now at home. I'll never forget when I was at the doctor's office, getting my ear cleaned, and felt a sudden rush of relief when a particularly large wax clot got dislodged and the nurse said, "Wow, that's a big one! What would you like to name it?"

  • @supernukey419

    @supernukey419

    Ай бұрын

    That bedside manner is legendary

  • @lastnamehurt

    @lastnamehurt

    28 күн бұрын

    I’ve been through this before too. The nurse just kept blasting water into my ear as I layed there in pain 😂

  • @vadimmakarov6811

    @vadimmakarov6811

    27 күн бұрын

    I had this treatment many times until mid-adulthood. Once I neglected removing the plug for too long and ended up with a minor surgery. Another time a doctor punctured my ear drum while removing the plug (very painful). I then started carefully removing earvax using a paperclip (squeezed into a narrower bend about 2 mm wide) about monthly, and never visited the ear doctor since. No plugs, period. I've been fine with this practice for about twenty years. Only recently I discovered that many ancient cultures and some today's ones (e.g., China) have an earvax removal "spoon" as a standard household item. It's all too bad I could not buy one, was never advised by the doctors of it, and had to re-invent this tool myself AGAINST THE WESTERN MEDICAL ADVICE. The most useless medical advice I received was from a doctor in Singapore who offered to surgically widen my ear canal. The paper clip solved that problem.

  • @sarl4in
    @sarl4inАй бұрын

    Realizing this was probably not the best video to watch on my lunch break. Interesting nonetheless.

  • @budisitoputra9011
    @budisitoputra9011Ай бұрын

    Thank you TED-ED for creating wonderful videos!❤🎉🤗

  • @shade9592
    @shade9592Ай бұрын

    I'm one of those people who has issues with earwax buildup. I problem is mostly anatomical, I have very narrow ear canals and that makes it prone to buildup. Physiology can also play a part; if you have oily skin, that can also be a contributing factor. IDK if having dry ear wax makes you less prone to buildup, but I'd imagine it does. I do clean my ear canals myself *AGAINST THE ADVICE* of every ENT I've been to, but in my defense, it does reduce my ENT visits. I only do it once a week unless the buildup is severe. I soak with hydrogen peroxide (baby oil also works) for 3 minutes and I do use swabs, but only the small ones, and be very gentle, and only on the outer half of the ear canal; that's were the buildup happens.

  • @Furfire

    @Furfire

    Ай бұрын

    I imagine they give that blanket advice with the lowest common denominator in mind... or because ear canals are different so they preach caution instead. That or Big Ear just wants to ensure they are needed.

  • @Matticusjk

    @Matticusjk

    Ай бұрын

    Im not alone!! I used to see an ENT every 2 years to get my canals cleared. Havent been in 7 years since I started occasionally putting H2O2, but i dont use swabs. The wax falls out on its own a couple times a year. My left ear just cleared itself out the other day!

  • @atomictraveller

    @atomictraveller

    Ай бұрын

    it's worth noting that H2O2 is 2% over the counter in the u.s.a. but around 20% in australia for instance. it takes consecutive days of 90 minute treatments until my ears open up (this is preceded by a sloow period of 45 minutes of regular periodic single bubble like a clock breaking through, done this for decades). every morning i pull my ears by sticking my fingers in it and pumping them for about 20 minutes a piece until the milk stops coming out. they will be milkable again in an hour or so. the finger pump has done much more than H2O2 ever had for opening up infected sinuses. what happens when they don't get milked isn't going to go over well. and screw ENTs bunch of hos. i've put everything but pee (often recommended) in my ears over the years. garlic and coconut oil is the best way to remove infection (i don't know about fancy antibiotics, antibiotics mess with my hearing when they're not intended to). my problem comes from the u.s. government. i went to school with gabrielle giffords. i know who the second man is. he goes to a lodge where the men wear aprons.

  • @abigailchristenson388

    @abigailchristenson388

    Ай бұрын

    I have a friend who has the same issue! When he was a baby he said they had to put tubes in his ears

  • @TooSlowTube

    @TooSlowTube

    Ай бұрын

    I clean mine out fairly often with a small metal loop tool, with a plastic handle. It makes it less likely that I push wax further into my ear, as with cotton buds, and the width of the loop stops it going in too far. If I don't clean them my hearing suffers and I get pain in my ears which affects my balance. This video is too "one size fits all", for my liking.

  • @freesk8
    @freesk8Ай бұрын

    At the end, that was an especially good animation of a guitar player! I play guitar, and so often, animators get something wrong. My bet is that this animator is a guitar player! :)

  • @gailaltschwager7377
    @gailaltschwager7377Ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @darklight5316
    @darklight5316Ай бұрын

    Just the thing i was wondering. Bravooo

  • @thepreacherxi5353
    @thepreacherxi5353Ай бұрын

    Thank ypu, Ted Ed. My ears badly need this lecture.

  • @InMaTeofDeath
    @InMaTeofDeathАй бұрын

    It didn't bother me until it built up so much in my ear that it blocked about half the sound that got through. It was a quick fix though just have to let the doctor clean it out they squirt water in your ear to loosen it and it makes you feel like your brains are getting scrambled.

  • @kaitlandm.4969
    @kaitlandm.4969Ай бұрын

    I had no idea your heritage affects what kind of earwax you have😮, you really learn something new everyday 😊

  • @FueledbyJohn
    @FueledbyJohnАй бұрын

    This was a fascinating animation to watch.

  • @Naistov
    @NaistovАй бұрын

    So interesting watching this as I just recently removed some bad earwax build up....basically impactions. Thank God for Debrox and tools actually made to extract the stuff😮‍💨

  • @antalito3047
    @antalito3047Ай бұрын

    I tend to have a lot of earwax so I was religiously tried to clean it but as the video suggested I just got a build up and many times couldn’t hear much. Then I stopped cleaning it all together and now it’s much better and I have no problems. Q tips are really not good to clean your ears

  • @pvanukoff

    @pvanukoff

    Ай бұрын

    I've used cotton swabs to clean my ear canals for over 30 years and never once had a build-up problem, and whenever I see my doctor, he often comments on how clean my ear canals are. It really specific to each person whether it's a good idea or not. I probably have wider-than-normal ear canals.

  • @kamille286

    @kamille286

    Ай бұрын

    @@pvanukoff Beyond pushing some earwax further back, the reason I've heard q-tips aren't good for cleaning ears is small bits of cotton can get stuck in your ears and cause infections. Just something to be aware of, there are other tools that won't cause that problem

  • @alexnetrusov6775
    @alexnetrusov6775Ай бұрын

    Very educative video! Thank you Ted-Ed!!

  • @user-bp4nv3qp4d
    @user-bp4nv3qp4dАй бұрын

    Deep respect TedEd

  • @iamprinceba
    @iamprincebaАй бұрын

    This is one of the most complicated things I have been thinking and googling about. I like this video but there are more complicated ways of how you can effectively clean ear wax. Which was something I was expecting, instead this video talks about how it comes about, looking forward to how we can effectively clean these without damaging the ear drum.

  • @Regalert
    @RegalertАй бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @Zethonring23
    @Zethonring23Ай бұрын

    Wish I'd known about the earbud thing sooner. A few years ago I upped my earbud usage like 200%, not knowing there would be any side effects. After like a year and a half I woke up one morning and was basically deaf in one ear. Blockage. My doctor referred me to an audiologist, but because this was in the middle of the pandemic I couldn't get an appointment for half a year. The whole thing was driving me so crazy I decided to buy a syringe and try to remove the wax manually. Not only did it not work, I gave myself tinnitus 🙃and now I can't really use earbuds anymore. Clean your ears kids!

  • @wolfferoni

    @wolfferoni

    Ай бұрын

    Clean your ears, yes, but if you can avoid using earbuds, do that too. Make sure you clean the earbuds well as well. Wiping it with tissue paper or something isn't enough

  • @cookies1702

    @cookies1702

    Ай бұрын

    ​@@wolfferoni What do you think is enough? I want to clean my in-ear headphone but don't know what to use since my headphone ear cushion make out of silicone/rubber

  • @Demetrius900000
    @Demetrius900000Ай бұрын

    Who cleans ears by sticking it all the way inside?! You do it after shower, when there is water in your ears, and you slowly move the stick inside, spinning it. That way the watery wax is left on the stick and nothing gets pushed inside.

  • @ijustwantedausername

    @ijustwantedausername

    Ай бұрын

    That is exactly what I do too.

  • @Demetrius900000

    @Demetrius900000

    Ай бұрын

    @@dominicbailey7558 Been doing it for nearly all my life, no problems with ears whatsoever.

  • @ieatalgae

    @ieatalgae

    Ай бұрын

    Yeah, exactly lol

  • @antonellaregueira4618
    @antonellaregueira4618Ай бұрын

    This is such a precious channel

  • @Pou1gie1
    @Pou1gie1Ай бұрын

    An ENT one said tome that every time I shower I should allow the water to glick into each ear canal a few times and then glick out. I've been doing this for years, and have been told by other ENTs that my ears are the cleanest they've seen in a while. Best and simplest hygiene habit I have.

  • @ButchersBanter
    @ButchersBanterАй бұрын

    I'm currently having a problem with earwax blockage so this was very handy, thank you :))

  • @LouisLixes
    @LouisLixesАй бұрын

    Amazing!!

  • @AnneMarcyandsashaVlog-md9ev
    @AnneMarcyandsashaVlog-md9evАй бұрын

    Yay! Ted Ed, you guys make the best and most interesting videos ever! Slay! ❤😉😻

  • @FelipeKana1
    @FelipeKana1Ай бұрын

    Yeah, I needed to hear that

  • @durontoshadatmahbub1936
    @durontoshadatmahbub1936Ай бұрын

    I really love your explanations of music. I learnt a lot from your videos. I wish you all the happiness you deserve. Take love. - Duronto. From Bangladesh.

  • @nienke7713
    @nienke7713Ай бұрын

    I've had both dry and wet earwax at different times, didn't know this was supposed genetically tied to ethnicity. I am mixed race East-Asian and European, so idk if that might have something to do with it. My face can also simetimes be quite dry and other times be quite oily, which might be related if it one of the components of earwax is the same kind of oils.

  • @patrickharrison4763
    @patrickharrison4763Ай бұрын

    Animators had fun with this one, well done.

  • @natheriver8910
    @natheriver8910Ай бұрын

    Vídeo muito esclarecedor! Obrigado 👏👏👏👏👏

  • @robramsey5120
    @robramsey5120Ай бұрын

    The rubber tips on earbuds gave me contact dermatitis in my ears, 2+ years after I stopped using them I still have trouble with my canals which now produce very little wax and are constantly itchy.

  • @alansun70

    @alansun70

    20 күн бұрын

    I experience itchiness a lot there.

  • @mmdohastam
    @mmdohastamАй бұрын

    amazing

  • @nishchalthakur2487
    @nishchalthakur2487Ай бұрын

    5:23 Giving your ears a break from earplugs and earphones *Me using earphones while watching this video* 👁️👄👁️

  • @bongobongo3661

    @bongobongo3661

    Ай бұрын

    Lmfao same

  • @carltonleboss

    @carltonleboss

    Ай бұрын

    Use headphones instead :P

  • @Becky_Cooling

    @Becky_Cooling

    Ай бұрын

    Me too! I need to charge my (over ear) headphones...

  • @natcat655

    @natcat655

    Ай бұрын

    Same! Anyway, earplugs and headphones are actually better for ears than NOISE... I guess 😅

  • @rian0xFFF

    @rian0xFFF

    Ай бұрын

    i never enjoy using earphones

  • @johancakep
    @johancakepАй бұрын

    There's a relatively a new tech, an earwax removal stick with a micro camera in its tip, allowing you to carefully remove the wax without pushing it or hurting your canal.

  • @EugeneYus
    @EugeneYusАй бұрын

    Whoever decided to market towards getting rid of it did a phenomenal job What if I get both types of waxes? Dry and wet? And no, not after swimming or bathing

  • @punelopepunstop5515
    @punelopepunstop5515Ай бұрын

    TedEd really waxed eloquently with this video!

  • @josueando

    @josueando

    Ай бұрын

    too slow for me, put it in x1.25 to fully appreciate it.

  • @orestfilm
    @orestfilmАй бұрын

    Wow! Really nice animation

  • @MysticChronicles712
    @MysticChronicles712Ай бұрын

    I love your channel!

  • @icantgetridofthisusernamehelp
    @icantgetridofthisusernamehelpАй бұрын

    I'm a musician and I have frequent wax buildup (and prone to ear infections. Legit I get about four a year). I've noticed that when My ears are getting clogged/there's the beginning of an infection, music sounds sharp, so I end up playing my instrument out of tune. That's usually how I can tell.

  • @photon434
    @photon434Ай бұрын

    My earwax builds up very quickly. Sometimes it is hard and other times its soft. It can get as big as a marble, but just a light blockage coating my ears affects my hearing. The wax causes my ears to get very itchy due to bacteria. Q-tips were a bad trip. The wax is very problematic for my hearing aids. Going to the doctor was a big relief, but it was only once a year. Finally, advice from both my doctor and my audiologist helped me deal with it myself. Now once or twice a month I use ear drops to loosen up the wax and the next day I use an elephant ear to flush my ears out with a 50% solution of hydrogen peroxide and distilled water. This is certainly something to be careful with because hydrogen peroxide changes the PH levels of your ears. And from experience I can tell you that overdoing hydrogen peroxide it is a bad trip--I used to soak my ears in it. Now I just use it at half strength just to flush them out. So now for the first time I have found a method that works for me. This is not for everyone and if you do resort to it, I recommend consulting a doctor first.

  • @difficult1003
    @difficult1003Ай бұрын

    As a person with hyperacusis, I can say that earwax serves as a protector of the ear nerve from loud sounds in the first place.

  • @litabouttathep4413

    @litabouttathep4413

    Ай бұрын

    👋 Hi, I think so. How long have you been in hyperacusis? How do you live with it? I think I also have hyperacusis, but there is no audiologist in my region. All I can do so far is online research from professionals.

  • @difficult1003

    @difficult1003

    Ай бұрын

    @litabouttathep4413 I had acoustic damage to my ear and tinnitus appeared with hyperacusis. Now, even after 5 years, I still experience discomfort from loud noises or vibration of the eardrum from certain sounds, such as foil. The first year was severe that I couldn't go outside without earplugs. But over time, my condition became more tolerable. I had to relearn how to enjoy sounds and music. My favorite music from the 80s helps me a lot😅

  • @francesleones4973
    @francesleones4973Ай бұрын

    I've been trying to refrain from cleaning my ears with cotton swabs. As someone with a perforated eardrum, I'm prone to getting infections which is always a bummer.

  • @aboobakarmohammed1242
    @aboobakarmohammed12428 күн бұрын

    The end was soooooo good😂❤

  • @lowenzahn3976
    @lowenzahn3976Ай бұрын

    Please make a video about nasal boogers next, and what to do with them best.

  • @coreysierchio4650
    @coreysierchio4650Ай бұрын

    Ted-ED video starring Seth Probably better known as Saffron Olive! *Thanks for the Content!*

  • @august6281
    @august6281Ай бұрын

    I just clean my ears now. It's so satisfying after not doing it for a week. Lots of ear wax.

  • @aguyontheinternet8436

    @aguyontheinternet8436

    Ай бұрын

    you did not need to mention that last part.

  • @knightshade6232
    @knightshade6232Ай бұрын

    👋🍜Im south east asian, my left ear has wet earwax while my right ear has dry earwax... Upon my research i have european bloodline..🇪🇺🔎

  • @EmpressoftheLoneIslands

    @EmpressoftheLoneIslands

    Ай бұрын

    The fact that they are different makes me wonder if you are a genetic chimera! That would be really cool.

  • @knightshade6232

    @knightshade6232

    Ай бұрын

    @@EmpressoftheLoneIslands how i wish that was possible ....hoping😚🙏

  • @ronmontoya3673
    @ronmontoya3673Ай бұрын

    Ang tainga ay mahalagang bahagi ng ating katawan

  • @dennisanderson3895
    @dennisanderson389510 күн бұрын

    I once shared with my primary care doc that in the shower I would regularly adjust the spray to as warm as comfortable then, in turn, tilt my head under the spray to rinse the ear, tilting well the other way to drain it of the excess water. He liked that plan.

  • @lottetimes
    @lottetimesАй бұрын

    Debrox ear drops are the best for removal.Just add drops for 2 to 3 days and flush it out with a bulb water. A lot of times it is included in the ear drop package

  • @passerby7831
    @passerby7831Ай бұрын

    There are times when I feel this strange moving sensation in my ear (scary 😭) and then my earwax just randomly fall out, it’s a funny feeling. Now I know that actually is what is supposed to happened ig

  • @nivrox95
    @nivrox9512 күн бұрын

    My dad could hardly hear for almost 2 years and I thought he was going deaf and he didn’t want to go to check it out for a long time.then one day he comes and says he can hear normally!! He finally went to the doctor and his ear was plugged with ear wax!! I had it once too and I didn’t notice the hearing loss but I didn’t pass a hearing test in the army. Also don’t use those swabs to clean your ear! I once had the cotton part stuck in my ear canal,had to go to the doctor to take it out.

  • @AlastorNahIdWinRadioDemon
    @AlastorNahIdWinRadioDemonАй бұрын

    Along with over the counter ear medicines they actually have specially made syringes that, after multiple days of using the ear medication, if there is still too much build-up, you make a half water-half hydrogen peroxide solution and spray it into your ear. Important note: Make sure the mix isn't too cold or too hot as to not injure yourself or even cause yourself to faint potentially if it's too high in low of temperature. I've been doing this for 7 years now due to having horrible wax buildup my entire life after an initial doctor visit where a doctor told me all of this. I have only had to see a doctor once since, and it was because I had forgotten that time that it was supposed to be a water and peroxide solution once and instead only used water, giving myself an ear infection as such.

  • @marmar90000

    @marmar90000

    Ай бұрын

    You can also just wash your ears with warm water and soap lather every time you shower. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse and dry afterwards, with a soft cotton cloth and natural evaporation.

  • @AchyutChaudhary
    @AchyutChaudharyАй бұрын

    2:27 *that's a good one Ted!* 😂

  • @emom358
    @emom358Ай бұрын

    But it feels so good!

  • @Zlnfgz
    @ZlnfgzАй бұрын

    Do the vacuum ear cleaners sold in shops work?

  • @aaronkumpula7367
    @aaronkumpula7367Ай бұрын

    Every few years I have enough buildup that it plugs my hearing entirely (narrow canals and oily wax) (its especially bad after swimming) and the scraper things my doctor used always just made the issue way worse since visibility was poor. The only solution that I’ve found actually works is going to an ENT specialist and having it vaccuumed out with a special machine

  • @twgok13

    @twgok13

    Ай бұрын

    Same buildup, but my specialist used the water syringe. After 3 times i started doing it myself at home. Just be extra careful and it's no longer a problem.

  • @boniamd4844
    @boniamd4844Ай бұрын

    Do Upil episode please! I love Ngupil..

  • @KPC-123
    @KPC-123Ай бұрын

    Just what I wanted was another lecture about how bad qtips are for the ears…. Thanks again!

  • @TROLOLOLOLO007
    @TROLOLOLOLO007Ай бұрын

    I like earigation the best. I got lots of ear wax and it really messes up my hearing so a weekly rinse works great.

  • @bluegodfairy37
    @bluegodfairy37Ай бұрын

    Early this year, I faced a hazard because of my carelessness while cleaning my hear. Had to do a minor operation in my ear.

  • @kawag2780
    @kawag2780Ай бұрын

    As a person with East Asian genes I'm happy that I can experience the feeling of satisfaction after cleaning my ears with my earwax removal tool. Pity I haven't been able to find another identical one that I use on Amazon or at local pharmacies. When I forgot where I placed it, I was in a state of disarray for a couple of weeks.

  • @alastairhewitt380
    @alastairhewitt380Ай бұрын

    I have cauliflower ear from wrestling and ever since I got it, there seems to be an abnormal amount of earwax in that ear. Unfortunately, the cauliflower is in the ear canal and not in the upper portion of my ear. Could this build up be because the new wax forming is having trouble getting pushed out or the ear canal? This has always been a bizarre mystery to me.

  • @abc_cba
    @abc_cbaАй бұрын

    Removing it is my favourite pastime 😂

  • @jjohnnyd
    @jjohnnyd15 күн бұрын

    I’m just about to turn 45 and I’ve been using q-tips all my life. This is the best argument I’ve heard against such practice but I’m still not totally convinced to stop using them

  • @alphatonic1481
    @alphatonic1481Ай бұрын

    I bought a re-useable silicone ear swab which is too short and soft to cause any damage a while ago. It looks like a Lego piece with the number 43093. It's easy to clean with a bit of soapy water.

  • @jangzhang7323
    @jangzhang7323Ай бұрын

    I thank my asian genes for dry earwax.

  • @LeraEluna
    @LeraElunaАй бұрын

    Informative video, was actually wondering about that 😂

  • @rfarevalo
    @rfarevalo18 күн бұрын

    The tools are to clean the ears of sand, dust, dirt, wood shavings, and stone dust. Not just ear wax. If you live in the desert, wind blown sand gets into every opening. If you dig ditches or carve stone the same happens.

  • @sprocket0077
    @sprocket0077Ай бұрын

    I’m half Chinese and half English and my ears have wet AND dry wax.

  • @teeintea

    @teeintea

    Ай бұрын

    same 💀 im half filipino and half german

  • @Tacom4ster
    @Tacom4sterАй бұрын

    I was so addicted to scratching my ear canal, barely clean my ears anymore, probably for the best

  • @ronakpaul7044
    @ronakpaul7044Ай бұрын

    Finally the Ted-ed video we were waiting for 😂

  • @litabouttathep4413
    @litabouttathep4413Ай бұрын

    Dear everyone, please take care of your ears. Yes, take a break from loud noise, earphones, headphones, ect. Currently I have a condition called hyperacusis, ears sensitivity to sound (self-diagnosed). I am trying to seek for help, if anyone can suggest me who should I reach out for recovering the condition. I will be very appriciate that, thank you 🙂🙏

  • @Leafybones

    @Leafybones

    Ай бұрын

    Don't self diagnose If you think you have a condition then seek a doctor to diagnose it If you do that an added bonus is that said doctor will also atleast get you a starting point to cure it (or in this case lessen it because Hyperacusis isn't really curable)

  • @litabouttathep4413

    @litabouttathep4413

    Ай бұрын

    @@Leafybones Thank you for your thought, unfortunately, I could not find an audiologist in my region. All I can do so far is online research from professionals and a form of self-recovery. The good news, it is curable I found an interview of a person who had experienced hyperacusis; now he is much better. Sure, it requires time and money.

  • @cliptracer8980
    @cliptracer8980Ай бұрын

    Debunked video. Proper method doesn’t push it deeper, which isn’t a problem anyway as it moves outward right? Didn’t mention showers.

  • @majorlaff8682
    @majorlaff868217 күн бұрын

    My doctor told me about fifteen years ago that my ears were wax factories - he even brought some nurses in to see the huge hard lumps and the gooey, runny stuff. It took three or four visits before everything was removed. I started getting them syringed every year. Over the last few years he uses some sort of vacuum machine, hopefully risking less damage to the ear drum. He half-jokingly tells me, ear cleaning has paid for his new Land Rover.

  • @rayRay-pw6gz

    @rayRay-pw6gz

    12 күн бұрын

    Today people use battery operated hair cutter to get rid of hair in their ears. When doing this , make sure your ear is facing in a downward direction. If not the hair will fall into your ear and mix with ear wax to help create blockage . Also use a thin damp cloth to clean any hair out . Once a month use warm water spray from shower into the ear to help remove wax. Good free advice that has worked well for me over the years.

  • @majorlaff8682

    @majorlaff8682

    12 күн бұрын

    @@rayRay-pw6gz I now do the warm water spray almost daily in the shower and it certainly keeps the wax loose and runny. I'll remember to try to avoid hair falling in next time my ears are having a shave. Thanks.

  • @GreenPartyofMalaysia
    @GreenPartyofMalaysiaАй бұрын

    I go to an ENT clinic to do EAR TOILET every 4 to 6 months. Theybalso give me sodium bicarbonate solution ear drops. Ear toilet involves suctioning (vacuuming) the impacted ear wax

  • @christophermartin7098
    @christophermartin709822 күн бұрын

    I’ve heard of earwax being used by artists being added to tempra paints to discourage the formation of bubbles in the medium.

  • @lovetolose
    @lovetoloseАй бұрын

    Anybody else noticed that when introducing the earwax removal person in modern age that they use Q-tips, even though Q-tips specifically state to not stick in ears. I’m not trying to start anything because I use Q-tips. But…

  • @connertomaterhater6691

    @connertomaterhater6691

    Ай бұрын

    I bet the companies that manufacture cotton swaps state that so they don’t get sued for people injuring their ear with their product.

  • @disneythequeen
    @disneythequeenАй бұрын

    so cool! i'll keep fiddling with it, nice try though!!!

  • @bethanyroserubright3484
    @bethanyroserubright3484Ай бұрын

    My earwax is often darker and stickier, but sometimes it has a creamier color and consistency similar to pus. If my earwax is creamy like pus, could it mean I have an ear infection?

  • @ayugitabhagawanti5095
    @ayugitabhagawanti509528 күн бұрын

    In medschool we don’t know much about that candle thingies, never thought it was dangerous either 🤔

  • @late_arvie
    @late_arvieАй бұрын

    My ears become super sweaty and produce extra wax when I use my earbuds for multiple hours. Am I the only one? Over-the-ear headphones do it much lesser.

  • @lakraknjeprak2536
    @lakraknjeprak2536Ай бұрын

    before someone make assumptions, doctor exist. especially audiologist who fix hearing loss from patients because their ear wax is in the way. yes, you can get hearing loss from too much ear wax and a doctor can fix that. some doctors even uploads their works on youtube. you just need to watch it.

  • @limerence8365
    @limerence8365Ай бұрын

    But its so satisfying when it comes out. I almost went deaf when I got a build up of it and it was so satisfying when the doctor removed it. I've started growing my pinky finger nail long and the doctor even said it was cleaner than normal. Should probably stop.

  • @johndriscoll7932
    @johndriscoll793213 күн бұрын

    Earwax is a problem with hearing aids and filters are used to stop earwax from getting into the speaker or transducer. My aids have two filters, an outer and an inner fitted into the acoustic canal. What I don't understand is how the inner filter gets clogged with earwax. It is as if the earwax can travel as vapor and condense on objects. Can someone enlighten me on the properties of earwax, does it begin as a vapor before condensing on the walls of the ear canal. Thanks

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