The microbiome of the ear canal contains species of bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa.
Most people are now familiar with the concept of the gut microbiome, though the details of how the gut microbiome functions are still being mapped out by researchers. The concept of the gut microbiome has shifted the way that medicine thinks about the gut, its relationship to disease and the immune system, and the role of the gut in the development of various diseases.
The ear canal has its own microbiome. Though it receives less attention than the gut, its importance to the health of the ear is no less.
The ear canal contains a community of microorganisms that include bacteria and fungi. The ear canal itself contains fatty acids, lysozyme, and other compounds that contain antimicrobial properties. The ear canal does not passively allow the growth of these organisms; it actively regulates their growth to ensure that no single organism gains dominance over the others.
When the balance of the ear canal is disrupted, the conditions for problems like otitis externa become more favourable. For more information on Ear Wax Removal Bristol, visit a site like www.earwax.co.uk/ear-wax-removal-near-me/bristol/
The ear canal is not sterile. It was never meant to be. The biology that lives in the space exists to perform work that most people are unaware of. Interventions into such systems, however well-intentioned, have sometimes created the problems they were trying to prevent.
