Where do earwax, eye mucus, and nose mucus come from? They are actually good things...

Expert of this article: Meng Yao, Doctor of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Many people regard earwax as dirty things, and feel that their ears are instantly unblocked every time they clean them.

But in fact, from a scientific point of view, picking your ears is not recommended.

And earwax is a good thing, born with the mission of protecting you. Including eye mucus, nose mucus...

Today let’s take a look at where these “good things” come from.

Where does earwax come from?

There are cerumen glands attached to the skin of the cartilaginous part of our external auditory canal. Their secretions are called cerumen, commonly known as "earwax".

Most people in my country have sensory earwax, which is flaky, while some people have sticky, oily earwax, commonly known as "oily ears" or "sugar ears", which are not easy to fall out.

From a physiological function perspective, earwax can adhere to foreign objects and protect the skin of the external auditory canal and the eardrum.

Schematic diagram of ear anatomy (from Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (3rd Edition))

Should I remove earwax?

Generally speaking, earwax can be discharged automatically with changes in head position or movement, and activities of the mandibular joint such as chewing and swallowing can expel earwax.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, if you don’t feel uncomfortable, there is no need to clean your ears.

However, if for various reasons, earwax gradually condenses into a mass and blocks the external auditory canal, it becomes earwax embolism. At this time, the patient will usually have local itching, stuffy and swollen ears, and may also have hearing loss and even dizziness.

When water enters the outer ear, there may be swelling and pain. If it is accidentally infected, it may even be accompanied by severe pain. At this time, there is no other solution but to remove it, but be careful not to dig it out blindly, otherwise it will damage the external auditory canal and eardrum, which will not be worth the loss.

You should see an ENT doctor and have the earwax gently removed under an otoscope. If necessary, you can use external auditory canal irrigation solution to soften the earwax, or lubricate it with oil and then use an earwax hook to gently remove it.

In summary, earwax is a treasure, so don’t dig it out randomly.

Where does eye boogers come from?

One of the supporting structures of our eyes, the tarsal plate, contains a large number of vertically arranged sebaceous glands, namely meibomian glands, which open behind the gray line of the eyelid margin. The oil they secrete is applied to the front of the cornea with the blinking action, forming a lipid layer of the tear film, which plays a role in protecting the eyes.

At the same time, these oils mix with the dust that enters the eyes and impurities in the tears, and gather in the corners of the eyes to form "eye boogers", which is also a manifestation of the self-cleaning function of the eyes.

What kind of eye discharge is abnormal?

An abnormal increase in eye mucus and changes in color and properties, such as sticky, purulent, or bloody eye mucus, is a pathological condition.

It is common in bacterial and viral conjunctivitis, keratitis, eye trauma, physical and chemical stimulation, allergic reaction, nutritional deficiency, parasitic infection, etc., and is often accompanied by eye itching, soreness, tearing in the wind, photophobia and other discomforts.

In order to protect the windows of the soul, you need to pay attention to eye hygiene, do not rub your eyes violently, do not use eye drops blindly, avoid unclean objects coming into contact with your eyes, and it is best for ladies who love beauty not to draw inner eyeliner when applying makeup.

Pay attention to the balance between work and rest, and do not overuse your eyes. If there is obvious abnormality in eye discharge, seek medical attention immediately and treat it after the cause is identified.

Where does booger come from?

The human nasal mucosa starts from the nasal vestibule and extends into the nasal cavity. It is widely distributed on the side walls of the nasal cavity and is continuous with the nasopharynx, sinuses and nasolacrimal duct mucosa. The submucosal layer is rich in mucus glands and serous glands. One of their main functions is to secrete a large amount of mucus to form a "mucus blanket", which is an important barrier to protect the nasal mucosa.

Schematic diagram of the structure of the mucosa of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity (from "Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (3rd Edition)")

On the one hand, these mucus heats, humidifies, filters and cleans the inhaled dry air; on the other hand, they play a defensive and protective role because they contain immunoglobulins, lysozymes, etc.

Let me tell you in secret: a normal person secretes about 1000 ml of mucus every day, most of which will be swallowed by you unknowingly. Only the secretions in the nasal vestibule area are dried by the dry air to form the so-called "nasal booger".

Therefore, it will occur under normal circumstances, but when inflammation or infection occurs, nasal secretions increase and more nasal mucus is formed.

Can you dig your booger whenever you want?

It's not that you can't pick your boogers. After all, if you let them fall off naturally at the wrong time, you may end up in a socially disastrous situation.

But you must pay attention to the method. You can use normal saline or clean water to rinse. If necessary, you can use a nasal rinser for better results.

After all, it is not uncommon in clinical practice for purulent infections to occur secondary to damage to the nasal vestibule or external nasal skin due to plucking nasal hair, picking the nose, or trauma.

There are only two words to describe picking your nose - gentle!