Cerumen, more commonly known as earwax, is produced by the body.
It is a thick sticky substance, which makes it excellent at its job of removing dirt and debris from inside the ear.
It is also able to help fight infections as it contains a naturally occurring anti-biotic.
Earwax then is essential to the body and the health of the ears.
Why then does it get such a bad press? The problem with earwax is that because it is a thick, sticky substance it has a tendency to clump up, a bit like mud on your shoe.
Under normal circumstances earwax is removed by the body, in fact this is an essential to its function.
However it is when something abnormal occurs that the problems start.
For example we catch a cold or other similar virus.
This will cause the normal production mechanisms to go into over-drive and thus too much is made.
Just like when it snows and the snowploughs are unable to clear all the roads, the ear cannot clear all the earwax.
As with the snow covered roads people cannot get through, sound waves in the ear cannot reach the brain.
Sound waves are essentially vibrations of the air made by whatever it is we are listening too.
In normal operations these waves are sent into the ear, down the ear canal, passed the eardrum and into the brain.
The brain then interprets these waves into recognizable noises, such as a dog barking or a phone ringing.
When the path is blocked the brain only receives part of the signal or none at all.
This is why we lose our hearing or it becomes muffled.
A build up of earwax can also be caused by too much saturated fat in our diets.
To reduce earwax production cut down on your fat.
Try also chewing your food as this motion can help breakdown earwax.
The most common idea on how to treat earwax is to stick something in your ear like an ear bud and remove it that way.
It is now recognized by Doctors that this is the worst thing you can do.
Why the change of heart? Well by sticking something in your ear, no matter how gentle you are, you can push the earwax further in, causing damage to the ear canal and ear drum.
This can mean that what was once temporary hearing loss has now been made permanent - so don't do it - right? One of the best ways to treat it naturally is to use warm water (not hot).
Using a pipette or small syringe gently drop a few drops of water into your ear.
After a moment or two turn your head and let the water drip out.
The water will have helped soften the earwax making it easier to remove.
Other natural treatments include Garlic, Olive Oil, and Vinegar.
There are also natural ways to help prevent it.