Ear Wax Accumulation: What You Need to Understand

Don’t forget to wash your ears. It’s hard not to say that in your “parenting” voice. Maybe you even recall getting that advice as a child. That’s the kind of memory that can take you back to simpler times as you wrap yourself in the nostalgia of youth.

But it’s also excellent advice. Uncontrolled earwax buildup can cause a substantial number of problems, especially for your hearing. Still worse, this organic compound can harden in place making it difficult to clean out. Bottom line, you’ll be best off keeping those ears clean.

Excessive earwax? Eww!

Earwax is, well, sort of gross. And we’re not going to attempt to change your mind about that. But it’s actually essential for the health of your ears. Earwax is made by glands in your ears and is then pushed out when you chew in order to keep your ears free of dirt and dust.

Essentially, the right amount of earwax can help keep your ears clean and healthy. However counterintuitive it sounds, the reality is that earwax itself isn’t a sign of poor hygiene.

The troubles start when your ears produce too much earwax. And, naturally, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to tell when a healthy amount of earwax starts to outweigh its advantages (literally).

What is the impact of excess earwax?

So, what happens as a result of excess earwax? There are numerous issues that could develop as a result of out-of-control earwax or earwax that builds up over time. Here are a few:

• Tinnitus: Tinnitus is a condition where you hear a phantom buzzing or ringing in your ears. Tinnitus symptoms can appear or get worse when earwax accumulates inside your ear.
• Earache: One of the most common signs of excess earwax is an earache. It doesn’t have to hurt too much (though, in some cases it can). This typically happens when earwax is creating pressure in places that it shouldn’t be.
• Dizziness: Your ability to maintain balance depends greatly on your inner ear. You can suffer from episodes of dizziness and balance issues when your inner ear is having trouble.
• Infection: Excess earwax can lead to ear infections. Sometimes, that’s because the earwax can trap fluid where it ought not to be.

This list is just the beginning. Headaches and pain can occur because of uncontrolled earwax buildup. If you wear hearing aids, excess earwax can impede them. This means that you may think your hearing aids are having problems when the real issue is a little bit too much earwax.

Can earwax affect your hearing?

Well, yes it can. Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent issues linked to excess earwax. When earwax accumulates in the ear canal it produces a blockage of sound causing a kind of hearing loss known as conductive hearing loss. The problem usually clears up when the earwax is eliminated, and normally, your hearing will go back to normal.

But if the accumulation becomes extreme, long term damage can appear. The same goes for earwax-caused tinnitus. It’s typically temporary. But the longer the extra earwax hangs around (that is, the longer you ignore the symptoms), the greater the risk of long-term damage.

Prevention, treatment, or both?

If you want to protect your hearing, then it seems logical to keep an eye on your earwax. It’s incorrect cleaning, not excess production that leads to buildup in most instances (a cotton swab, for example, will frequently compress the earwax in your ear rather than getting rid of it, eventually causing a blockage).

Frequently, the wax has gotten hard, dense, and unmovable without professional treatment. The sooner you get that help, the sooner you’ll be able to hear again (and the sooner you’ll be able to start cleaning your ears the correct way).