Roeser R J, Ballachanda B B
Callier Center for Communication Disorders/University of Texas at Dallas 75235, USA.
J Am Acad Audiol. 1997 Dec;8(6):391-400.
Two types of glands are found in the outer third of the human earcanal: sebaceous glands that produce sebum and modified apocrine glands that produce apocrine sweat. Together, these substances make up cerumen, which serves to clean, lubricate, and, to some extent, protect the earcanal from bacteria and fungus. Excessive/impacted cerumen can cause tinnitus, vertigo, itching, pain, external otitis, and hearing loss. Two populations are known to have a high incidence of excessive/impacted cerumen: individuals with mental retardation and the elderly. Anthropologists have used cerumen type to tract human migratory patterns and epidemiologists have related cerumen type to breast cancer.
分泌皮脂的皮脂腺和分泌顶泌汗腺汗液的变形顶泌汗腺。这些物质共同构成耵聍，耵聍起到清洁、润滑作用，并在一定程度上保护外耳道免受细菌和真菌侵害。耵聍过多/堵塞会导致耳鸣、眩晕、瘙痒、疼痛、外耳道炎和听力损失。已知有两类人群耵聍过多/堵塞的发生率较高：智障人士和老年人。人类学家利用耵聍类型来追踪人类迁徙模式，流行病学家则将耵聍类型与乳腺癌联系起来。
