What is the largest piece of ear wax ever extracted from a human?

Answer 1

The size limit depends on the geometry of the ear canal. Bigger people, bigger canals, bigger plugs. Just imagine whales. Some wax is so soft it flows out, some wax is so durable you can't scratch it with a metal currette and it goes "ping" off the metal basin, Asian wax is flaky so doesn't form plugs as often but it is a challenge to remove. As wax flows it carries out debris (dust and dirt) and inhibits micro organisms (germs).

The impressive ear wax plugs are still smaller than the last segment of your little finger. Of course by size are you asking for mass (a gram or so) or displacement ( a cubic centimeter or so). Sadly few specimens are kept for exact measurement - even honking great ones. It would be just too weird to keep a collection or show your ear wax on YouTube. Most people scrunch up their nose when they see the plug and in 12 years only one child wanted to keep the plug for show and tell - he said (0.001%).

I have pulled all manner of detritis out of ears from insects, erasers, toy parts - some of which have been in place for years. Sorry kids, no potatos, no bunnies, ect. That is just a strategy to provide distraction for a few precious seconds; enough to evaluate position, color, fluid, landmarks, sclerosis and a laundry list of pathologies that flits through your doctor's mind as his fuzzy eye brows go up and down.

So don't try this at home kids and don't bother with Q-tips, peroxide or ear candles (fire burns). Mineral oil, docusate or a wash cloth is OK. As parting advice, don't ask your big brother what a "Wet Willy" is. Seriously less fun than 52 pick-up, but at least less painful than that Indian sun burn you asked him about.

Ear wax, you can flush it, pick it or just leave it alone.