Ear Wax Buildup: What You Should be Aware of

When you take a shower, always remember to wash your ears. Whenever you say that, you unavoidably use your “parent voice”. Perhaps you even recall getting that advice as a kid. 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 great advice. Your hearing can be substantially impacted by out-of-control earwax. Even worse, this organic compound can solidify in place making it challenging to clean out. In a nutshell, the cleaner you keep your ears, the better off you’ll be.

Excessive earwax? Eww!

We get it, earwax isn’t the most appealing of materials. That’s a viewpoint that most people share. But it is actually essential for the health of your ears. Produced by specialized glands in your ear and pushed outwards by the chewing motions of your jaw, earwax can help keep dust and dirt out of your ears.

Essentially, the correct amount of earwax can help keep your ears healthy and clean. It may seem peculiar, but earwax doesn’t suggest poor hygiene.

An excessive amount of earwax is where the trouble begins. And it can be rather difficult to know if the amount of earwax being generated is healthy or too much.

What does excess earwax do?

So, what happens as a result of accumulated earwax? There are several issues that may develop as a result of out-of-control earwax or earwax that accumulates over time. Here are a few:

• Earache: An earache is one of the most prevalent signs of excess earwax. It doesn’t have to hurt too much (though, in some cases it can). This usually occurs when earwax is causing pressure in places where it shouldn’t be.
• Tinnitus: When you hear ringing or buzzing that isn’t really there, you’re probably dealing with a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus symptoms can appear or get worse when earwax is built up inside your ear.
• Dizziness: Your inner ear is essential to your balance. You can suffer from episodes of dizziness and balance problems when your inner ear is having issues.
• Infection: Infections can be the consequence of excessive earwax. If fluid builds up, it can get trapped behind impacted earwax.

These are just a few. Headaches and discomfort can happen because of uncontrolled earwax accumulation. Excessive earwax can interfere with the functionality of hearing aids. So too much earwax might make you think your hearing aids are having problems.

Can your hearing be impacted by earwax?

The quick answer is yes. Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent problems linked to excess earwax. When earwax builds up in the ear canal it causes a blockage of sound causing a kind of hearing loss known as conductive hearing loss. Your hearing will usually go back to normal after the wax is cleaned out.

But if the buildup becomes severe, permanent damage can occur. The same is true of earwax-related tinnitus. It’s normally not permanent. But the longer the extra earwax sticks around (that is, the longer you neglect the symptoms), the bigger the risk of long-term damage.

Prevention, treatment, or both?

If you want to safeguard your hearing, then it makes sense to keep an eye on your earwax. It’s improper cleaning, not excess production that causes buildup in most cases (a cotton swab, for instance, will often compact the earwax in your ear instead of removing it, eventually causing a blockage).

Often, the wax has gotten hard, dense, and unable to clear without professional treatment. You’ll be able to start hearing again as soon as you get that treatment and then you can start over, cleaning your ears the correct way.