What does the colour of your earwax mean?

Your body and the substances it secretes can be somewhat gross, but you can learn a lot about how its functioning and your overall health. Paying close attention to your poo, urine, mucous and saliva can help with early diagnosis and treatment of inconspicuous medical conditions. One bodily secretion that most people tend to ignore is the earwax.

Earwax

Your ears produce this substance naturally to keep them healthy by helping to keep debris, dirt and other particles away from the ear canal, Healthline states. Medically known as cerumen, the production of earwax is also necessary for preventing infections.

The texture and consistency of the earwax could be down to genetics, environment and diet. One study found that people of Asian descent tend to have dry earwax while people of African or European descent have wet or sticky earwax.

The composition of this bodily excrement differs from one person to the other, but knowing the colours of earwax and what they mean could prove highly relevant, writes HealthHearing.com.

The colour of infection

The colour of this bodily excrement varies depending on several factors. However, Rex Banks, a doctor of audiology told Reader's Digest, naturally occurring cerumen is usually brown, orange or yellow. If you notice a colour outside this range, you may have reason to be concerned.

For instance, dark brown or black earwax is a sign of trapped dirt and dust, which could be blocking your ear canal, Dr Banks said:

Black earwax is usually a sign that it’s really old and possibly impacted

Apart from dirt build-up causing a change in the colour of your earwax, other colour variations could point to different things. According Healthline, red or green streaks in your cerumen – typically being runny and cloudy – could suggest an infection. Red could also be an indication that the earwax is tinged with blood probably from a scratch in the ear canal, ear injury, or side effect of wax removal.

Sources used:

Healthline: What does your ear colour mean?

Reader’s Digest Canada: What your earwax says about your health

Healthy Hearing: (Almost) all you need to know about earwax

Read more:

⋙ This is the best method to remove earwax

⋙ Got water stuck in your ears? Try these techniques to get it out

⋙ Tinnitus: The condition that produces ringing sounds in your ears