Wet earwax and body odor

When many people pick their ears, the earwax they pick out is very greasy and has a smell similar to body odor. At the same time, most of these people will have body odor, so everyone thinks that there is a great connection between oily earwax and body odor. In fact, there is not much difference between the two. Wet earwax is caused by not paying attention to cleaning and the secretion of oily sebum, while most body odor is caused by the secretion of sweat glands.

Body odor and oily earwax

Many friends believe that if you have body odor, your earwax will be thin. This view is wrong. People with oily earwax do not necessarily have body odor, and people with body odor do not necessarily have oily earwax. The causes of axillary odor are very complex and are one of the difficult problems in the medical field.

Oily earwax

A Japanese study found that human genes can determine whether earwax is wet or dry. Due to genetic mutations, most East Asians have dry earwax, while Europeans and Africans have wet earwax. Whether earwax is wet or dry is not a big deal, but studies have shown that people with wet earwax tend to have body odor. Nagasaki University studied 33 races around the world and found that up to 95% of East Asians have dry earwax, while more than 97% of Europeans and Africans have wet earwax. Researchers have found that whether earwax is wet or dry depends on the ABCC11 gene, which controls the cell ducts that secrete earwax and affects its composition. If this gene mutates, it will change the structure of the cell ducts and affect the wetness or dryness of the earwax. They estimate that this change in cell pathways first appeared in northeastern Asia and then spread throughout Asia, even affecting American Indians and Eskimos who migrated from Asia.

Oily Earwax and Body Odor

Oily earwax usually causes body odor, but this is not absolute. Whether it is body odor requires further diagnosis. Body odor is caused by the overdevelopment of a special sweat gland in the armpit, called apocrine glands. The secretions of body glands of young men and women are higher than those of other people, especially those with oily skin. The body odor is much stronger than that of ordinary people.

The wetness or dryness of earwax is determined by human genes. Due to genetic mutations, most East Asians have dry earwax, while Europeans and Africans have wet earwax. The wetness or dryness of earwax is not a big deal. The wetness or dryness of earwax depends on the ABCC11 gene. If this gene mutates, it will change the structure of the cell ducts and affect the wetness or dryness of the earwax.

Causes of oily earwax

Oily earwax is determined by genes. Some people have extra secretion from cerumen glands and sebaceous glands, and the discharge is a brown, oily and sticky substance that accumulates in the outer eye before it dries. Some even flow out of the ear, and some condense into clumps. These are collectively called soft earwax, commonly known as "oily ears". Many friends think that if they have body odor, the earwax is thin, but this view is wrong. People with oily earwax usually have body odor, but body odor is not necessarily caused by oily earwax.

Causes of body odor

1. Endocrine

Body odor is generally more severe during adolescence, which is related to the human body's endocrine system. The sweat glands that cause body odor are the apocrine glands. When the endocrine system is active, the apocrine glands will secrete a large amount of smelly sweat, which causes body odor. This symptom is particularly prominent during adolescence, and will gradually decrease or even disappear in old age.

2. Bacteria

In fact, the sweat secreted by the apocrine glands does not smell bad itself, but it can react with the bacteria on the surface of the armpits to produce unsaturated fatty acids, thereby forming a special odor, which is body odor.

In fact, the sweat secreted by the apocrine glands does not smell bad, but it can react with the bacteria on the surface of the armpits.

3. Genetics

The occurrence of axillary odor may be related to genetics. For example, paranoia, schizophrenia, etc. can cause bromhidrosis, but no research has shown that there is a clear relationship between axillary odor and genetics.

How to prevent or reduce body odor in daily life

For people who are not convenient to undergo surgery, have mild body odor, or want to avoid body odor, they should do the following in daily life.

1. Pay attention to hygiene

You should take a bath and change your underwear frequently to keep your armpits clean and fresh, and you can apply talcum powder appropriately. Wash your armpits frequently to prevent the growth of bacteria and avoid the production of body odor caused by the reaction of sweat. Shaving your armpit hair can also reduce body odor.

2. Apply medicine

Pharmacies generally sell medicines that can cover up body odor, such as Xishi Lu. These medicines are simple and effective, and generally last for a week, but should be used with caution by people who are allergic to the medicine. You cannot use perfume to cover up the smell of body odor. Instead, the perfume and body odor will be emitted from your body at the same time, and the smells will not mix with each other, which will backfire.