Weird effect of coconut water (TMI)

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Hi, in my quest to be healthier I recently started consuming coconut water. I prefer it much more than regular water and it seems to be an easy way to stay hydrated. However, after drinking it every morning I noticed this weird side effect. My ear wax would literally melt out of my ears the next day or so. I normally have sticky stagnant wax but it just seems to come out the day after I consume coconut water. So much that I literally have to wipe my outer ears because of the wax that came out. I guess it's not a bad thing, but I'm just wondering why that would happen. Anyone else experience it too?

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Anecdotal?

    I do not recall that effect.

    How much are you drinking daily?
  • taffy778
    taffy778 Posts: 7 Member
    edited December 2018
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Anecdotal?

    I do not recall that effect.

    How much are you drinking daily?

    This happens only when I'm drinking coconut water. I would drink about 2 cups every morning. Sometimes the wax will start coming out mid-day after drinking it.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    You have no way of knowing if that is a causal effect or not but you are stating it as if they are somehow connected.
  • taffy778
    taffy778 Posts: 7 Member
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    You have no way of knowing if that is a causal effect or not but you are stating it as if they are somehow connected.

    I mean if this only happens when I drink coconut water, then it would make me believe it's that. I could drink 8 cups of regular water a day and my ear wax doesn't do that. I also haven't changed my diet or lifestyle. The only thing I've added is the coconut water and only noticed the symptoms after that.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    I was intrigued by your post. On the face of it it seems unlikely that drinking coconut water could result in disolving ear wax. But in the spirit of curiosity I did a quick google search and although I couldn't find anything relating to coconut water and ear wax I did find this article on Livestrong

    https://www.livestrong.com/article/542914-gluten-ear-problems/

    So although it is not evidence as such, it may be that food we eat can effect ear wax production.

    Worth looking further into it perhaps. :)

  • Dilvish
    Dilvish Posts: 398 Member
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    I have never heard of what you describe. I certainly doubt it has anything to do with coconut water. you may have to get it checked by an Ear, Nose And Throat (ENT) doctor...something that it might be https://healthline.com/health/cholesteatoma#symptoms
  • taffy778
    taffy778 Posts: 7 Member
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    I was intrigued by your post. On the face of it it seems unlikely that drinking coconut water could result in disolving ear wax. But in the spirit of curiosity I did a quick google search and although I couldn't find anything relating to coconut water and ear wax I did find this article on Livestrong

    https://www.livestrong.com/article/542914-gluten-ear-problems/

    So although it is not evidence as such, it may be that food we eat can effect ear wax production.

    Worth looking further into it perhaps. :)

    This is very interesting. Thanks!
  • taffy778
    taffy778 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks to the above article, I thought to google foods for ear health. Sure enough high potassium foods are good for the ear. Coconut water is high in potassium. So I guess that's what made all that blocked up wax come out. Board closed!
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Is the coconut water you’ve consuming 100% pure coconut water?
  • taffy778
    taffy778 Posts: 7 Member
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    Is the coconut water you’ve consuming 100% pure coconut water?

    I drink Harvest Bay coconut water, it doesn't have any preservatives or anything just pure coconut water.
  • Dilvish
    Dilvish Posts: 398 Member
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    taffy778 wrote: »
    Thanks to the above article, I thought to google foods for ear health. Sure enough high potassium foods are good for the ear. Coconut water is high in potassium. So I guess that's what made all that blocked up wax come out. Board closed!

    do you eat bananas? Oranges, cooked broccoli, mushrooms, peas...the list goes on. These foods are also rich in potassium. Again prudence dictates that the condition is not from the coconut water. I drink coconut milk, eat bananas, oranges, potatoes and broccoli all in the same day and have never ever had ear wax pouring out of my ears even though my potassium levels are higher than drinking coconut water.

    Additionally my adult age daughter drinks pure coconut water and says she has never had wax coming out of her ears because of it.
  • taffy778
    taffy778 Posts: 7 Member
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    Dilvish wrote: »
    taffy778 wrote: »
    Thanks to the above article, I thought to google foods for ear health. Sure enough high potassium foods are good for the ear. Coconut water is high in potassium. So I guess that's what made all that blocked up wax come out. Board closed!

    do you eat bananas? Oranges, cooked broccoli, mushrooms, peas...the list goes on. These foods are also rich in potassium. Again prudence dictates that the condition is not from the coconut water. I drink coconut milk, eat bananas, oranges, potatoes and broccoli all in the same day and have never ever had ear wax pouring out of my ears even though my potassium levels are higher than drinking coconut water.

    Additionally my adult age daughter drinks pure coconut water and says she has never had wax coming out of her ears because of it.

    I actually don't really eat fruit/veggies that much. Especially not potassium containing ones. What I do know is that foods affect different people differently and so can coconut water. I'm south Asian and we tend to have stickier stubborn wax that is hard to get out on its own, and that would explain the earwax buildup and consequent 'leakage' that I experience when drinking coconut water, and why you and your daughter might not experience the same effect.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
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    Sigh...logic
    Quick, someone make a supplement out of this now (><)
  • Dilvish
    Dilvish Posts: 398 Member
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    taffy778 wrote: »
    Dilvish wrote: »
    taffy778 wrote: »
    Thanks to the above article, I thought to google foods for ear health. Sure enough high potassium foods are good for the ear. Coconut water is high in potassium. So I guess that's what made all that blocked up wax come out. Board closed!

    do you eat bananas? Oranges, cooked broccoli, mushrooms, peas...the list goes on. These foods are also rich in potassium. Again prudence dictates that the condition is not from the coconut water. I drink coconut milk, eat bananas, oranges, potatoes and broccoli all in the same day and have never ever had ear wax pouring out of my ears even though my potassium levels are higher than drinking coconut water.

    Additionally my adult age daughter drinks pure coconut water and says she has never had wax coming out of her ears because of it.

    I actually don't really eat fruit/veggies that much. Especially not potassium containing ones. What I do know is that foods affect different people differently and so can coconut water. I'm south Asian and we tend to have stickier stubborn wax that is hard to get out on its own, and that would explain the earwax buildup and consequent 'leakage' that I experience when drinking coconut water, and why you and your daughter might not experience the same effect.

    For your sake I hope you are correct. Unfortunately it sounds more like you'd rather self diagnose your symptoms rather than going to check out what it may or may not be. The fact that you say you don't eat fruit and veggies that much already raises concerns...these foods are the cornerstone of good health and you are likely not getting proper nutrition which almost always leads to health issues.

    I am not trying to be an alarmist here but rather a realist. Sadly, many people take to the internet for medical advice because they either can't afford to see a doctor or they are afraid to do so.

    The longer you ignore the issue, the worse a condition can become. I have looked at several website searches regarding the earwax condition you describe and I have yet to find one that isn't a medical issue of some type or another. Most of them are treatable but some should get immediate attention.

    Be safe. Get it looked at by a doctor. Don't take the risk...the sooner you get it diagnosed, the better your treatment options. Assuming it is related to your coconut water consumption is just plain silly, IMHO.