Leave That Ear Wax Alone

FRIDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News)—When it comes to ear wax, it's best to leave it alone, new national guidelines state.

While many people feel they need to remove ear wax—technically called cerumen and a mixture of secretion, hair and dead skin—it is actually protective since it has lubricating and antibacterial properties, said Dr. Peter Roland, an ear specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He chaired a panel that released new guidelines Friday from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

The guidelines are the first comprehensive clinical recommendations meant to help health-care professionals identify patients with impacted wax and treat them properly. Panel members reviewed scientific studies and sought expert opinion to create the guidelines.