What You Need to Understand About Earwax Buildup

When you take a shower, always remember to wash your ears. Whenever you say that, you unavoidably use your “parent voice”. Maybe you even recall getting that advice as a kid. That’s the type of memory that can remind you of simpler times as you wrap yourself in the nostalgia of youth.

But that advice can be rather helpful. Your hearing can be significantly affected by an overabundance of earwax. Still worse, this organic compound can solidify in place making it difficult to clean out. Bottom line, you’ll be best off keeping those ears clear.

Excessive earwax? Eww!

Earwax is, well, sort of gross. And we’re not going to attempt to change your mind about that. But earwax does serve a purpose. Created by specialized glands in your ear and churned outwards by the chewing motions of your jaw, earwax can help keep dust and dirt out of your ears.

In other words, the ideal amount of earwax can help keep your ears healthy and clean. It might seem weird, but earwax doesn’t indicate poor hygiene.

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

What does excess earwax do?

So, what kind of impact does excess earwax have? Earwax that gets out of control and, over time, builds up, can lead to several issues. Those issues include:

• Infection: Infections can be the consequence of excessive earwax. In some cases, that’s because the earwax can trap fluid where it ought not to be.
• Earache: An earache is one of the most common signs of excess earwax. Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt that bad, and other times it can hurt a lot. This is normally a result of the earwax producing pressure someplace it shouldn’t.
• Dizziness: Your ability to maintain balance depends greatly on your inner ear. You can suffer from bouts of dizziness and balance issues when your inner ear is having trouble.
• Tinnitus: Tinnitus is an affliction where you hear a phantom ringing or buzzing in your ears. Tinnitus symptoms can appear or get worse when earwax accumulates inside your ear.

These are only a few. Neglected earwax can cause painful headaches. Excessive earwax can hinder the functionality of hearing aids. So too much earwax may make you think your hearing aids are having problems.

Can earwax affect your hearing?

Well, yes it can. Hearing loss is one of the most common issues connected to excess earwax. Normally causing a form of conductive hearing loss, earwax builds up in the ear canal, stopping sound waves and vibrations from getting very far. The issue normally clears up when the earwax is extracted, and usually, your hearing will go back to normal.

But there can be long-term damage caused by excess earwax, especially if the buildup gets extreme enough. The same is true of earwax-related tinnitus. It’s usually temporary. But the longer the excess earwax hangs around (that is, the longer you ignore the symptoms), the bigger the risk of long-term damage.

Prevention, treatment, or both?

It’s a good idea to keep track of your earwax if you want to safeguard your hearing. It’s incorrect cleaning, not excess production that causes buildup in most instances (for instance, blockage is frequently a result of cotton swabs, which tend to press the earwax further in rather than removing it).

Often, the wax has become hardened, dense, and unable to clear without professional treatment. The sooner you receive that treatment, the sooner you’ll be able to hear again (and the sooner you’ll be able to start cleaning your ears the right way).