He Who Has Ears... The Chemistry of Cerumen

In Mark Antony’s famous speech from Julius Caesar, he calls the people to listen closely as he persuades them that Caesar was kind and loving, even towards those who killed him and that Brutus was the real villain. He asks them to “lend their ears” to the true story behind what Brutus had done.

We too must “lend our ears” continually, listening to the many sounds around us to warn us, guide us, and educate us. Without ears our world is silent, missing out on a significant dimension of our existence. It has been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we would listen twice as much as we speak. When He wanted us to understand, Jesus said “He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:9 and others).

Our ears are a marvelous bit of engineering. Containing the three smallest bones in the body and a slip of skin stretched tightly like a drum, they can pick up sounds ranging from the quiet hum of a bumble bee (3 decibels) to the deafing sound of a jet engine or your favorite hard rock band in concert or coming from the low-rider driving next to you (135 decibels). Our ears have a frequency range of 12 to 20,000 cycles (Hertz), more than one octave above the highest reach of the piano and as low as the lowest notes on a tuba or pipe organ.

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Our ears also have a well developed means of protection and self cleaning; Ear Wax or Cerumen. Cerumen is a waxy substance secreted by glands in the ear canal. It is a mixture of thick secretions from sebaceous glands and watery secretions from sweat glands. The primary components of ear wax are shed layers of skin (keratin), saturated and unsaturated long-chain fatty acids, alcohols, squalene and Cholesterol.

Squalene

Cerumen is designed to clean and lubricate the skin of the ear canal and provide some protection from bacteria, fungi, insects and water. The lubricating properties arise from the high lipid content of the sebum produced by the sebaceous glands. The cerumen cleans the canal as it is carried outwards by jaw movement and the migration of skin cells, taking along with it any dirt, dust or particulate matter that may have gathered there.

Cerumen has a bactericidal effect on some common strains of bacteria known to produce outer ear infections, including Haemophilus influenzae (H flu), Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), and many variants of E coli. It also inhibits the growth of two fungi commonly present in the ear. These antimicrobial properties are due to the presence of saturated fatty acids and particularly to the slight acidity of cerumen (pH around 6.1).

Most people should never have to clean the ear canal. However, in some people, the glands produce more wax than can be naturally removed from the ear. This extra wax can harden in the canal and block the ear. More commonly, ear wax may build up if you accidentally push it deeper into the ear canal with inappropriate cleaning, usually when attempting to clean the ear with cotton swabs. Excess or impacted cerumen can press against the eardrum or occlude the canal and thus impair hearing. This wax blockage is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Excess cerumen can be removed mechanically, using softening agents, such as mineral or olive oil, or most commonly by irrigation of the ear canal with warm water.

Irrigation uses body-temperature water (cooler or warmer water may cause dizziness or vertigo). With your head upright, straighten the ear canal by holding the outside ear and gently pulling upward. Using a blub syringe, gently direct a small stream of water against the ear canal wall next to the wax plug, tipping your head to allow the water to drain. You may need to repeat this several times. After the wax is removed, dry the ear thoroughly. You may use a few drops of rubbing alcohol to help dry the ear. If ear wax still persists, it should be removed by a medical professional.

We must keep our ears clear and attentive to the sounds all around us – the rushing of the wind through the trees, the harmonic hum of the violin, the laughter of family and friends and the “still small voice of God” – 1 Kings 19:12 (NKJV).

Proverbs 23:12 (NKJV) – “Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.”

God speaks to us and we can hear Him if we will only listen for His voice. He does not yell but speaks quietly with the power of His Grace and Mercy. Lord let me hear Your voice and know the plans You have for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Read more at God’s Chemistry Set

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