# Ear wax **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2018, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441 "2018-06-05T00:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trisha\_Gaurav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Trisha\_Gaurav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trisha_Gaurav)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/1 "2018-06-05T00:32:54Z")
Today I went to the doctor to relieve my ear because it was closed. It turned out it wasn’t that my ear was closed but that it had a lot of wax. The doctor poured medicine down my ear and left the room for a few minutes. When she came back she flushed it out with water. I said it reminded me of how people flush gophers out of their holes to relocate them. She said that was a funny comparison and then said there’s a little gopher in my ear. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/2 "2018-06-05T00:35:59Z")
I believe you have the correct forum. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/3 "2018-06-05T00:49:38Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > I believe you have the correct forum. I agree, this is the right place to wax poetic. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/4 "2018-06-05T02:40:41Z")
Did anyone else used to play the game _Gopher_ on the Atari 2600? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/5 "2018-06-05T04:08:24Z")
There are a gazillion You Tube videos which depict this. Some are done by doctors; most aren’t. Warning: They’re gross. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/6 "2018-06-05T11:30:28Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Did anyone else used to play the game _Gopher_ on the Atari 2600? Anyone ever use the Internet protocol Gopher? I actually liked it better than the WWW for a while, since I was surfing text-only. Gopher was always nicely arranged. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/7 "2018-06-05T15:41:17Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I agree, this is the right place to wax poetic. Indeed, gopher broke! (No, I’m not saying the Gopher protocol broke. Although it might have. I can’t test it from here.) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/8 "2018-06-05T16:32:00Z")
I can’t hear you. I have something in my eye. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/9 "2018-06-05T16:33:10Z")
Did the doctor use peroxide? (Did it fizz in your ear?) If not, any idea what she did use? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/10 "2018-06-05T16:39:51Z")
[Do you have yellow ear wax or white?](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/science/japanese-scientists-identify-ear-wax-gene.html) ID your ear wax gene. StG ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/11 "2018-06-05T17:34:29Z")
Evidently, your ear wax is supposed to take care of itself and your not supposed to use Q tips to clean your ears out. That’s not true for me though, I have to clear out the wax once or twice a week. I don’t go deep, just far enough to get the stuff. And do you ever scratch your ear, smell your finger to determine how bad your ear wax smells, and then smell it again? What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/12 "2018-06-05T17:40:01Z")
Was the gopher Evil and Nazi? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/13 "2018-06-05T17:44:53Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > And do you ever scratch your ear, smell your finger to determine how bad your ear wax smells, and then smell it again? What’s up with that? Pro tip - don’t scratch a gopher in the ear. If you must, then don’t smell your finger after. If you do, don’t do it twice. Or so I’ve read. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/14 "2018-06-05T20:56:39Z")
You can see an episode of the cult classic Pete and Pete involving Johnny Earwax (and Adam West) [here](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x320552). ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/15 "2018-06-05T20:58:58Z")
A couple of times I’ve had _things_ dug out of my ears that looked like hairballs horked up by cats. I really have to do at least weekly maintenance or the ear wax builds up. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/16 "2018-06-06T16:14:56Z")
> [@Trisha\_Gaurav](#): > > Today I went to the doctor to relieve my ear because it was closed. It turned out it wasn’t that my ear was closed but that it had a lot of wax. Is there some condition where human ears _ **close** _? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/17 "2018-06-06T16:19:04Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Is there some condition where human ears _ **close** _? A nasty otitis externa can result in so much swelling that the canal closes up, trapping all the inflammation, pus, and fluids inside. Then it’s necessary to put a wick in to get meds in and drainage out. I’ve dealt with more than a few of those in my career. Horribly painful too. I don’t hesitate to order oxycodone for someone with a fulminant case of OE. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/18 "2018-06-06T18:51:10Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > A nasty otitis externa can result in so much swelling that the canal closes up, trapping all the inflammation, pus, and fluids inside. Then it’s necessary to put a wick in to get meds in and drainage out. I’ve dealt with more than a few of those in my career. Horribly painful too. I don’t hesitate to order oxycodone for someone with a fulminant case of OE. “Cerumen impaction; otitis media”. I know these phrases well. I’ve been deaf a couple of times in my life due to it; had tubes twice to help my ears drain. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/19 "2018-06-07T19:45:35Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > There are a gazillion You Tube videos which depict this. Some are done by doctors; most aren’t. > > Warning: They’re gross. Gross: yes. Totally Fascinating? Also Yes! ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441/20 "2018-06-07T20:42:54Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > There are a gazillion You Tube videos which depict this. Some are done by doctors; most aren’t. > > Warning: They’re gross. This whole thread has too much information. But I have to ask: you watched one; it was gross; you watched another; it was gross; you watched another… (a) why? (b) I mean, once you had a head of steam up, why did you stop? j [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ear-wax/815441.md?page=2)