Written by Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAP | Reviewed by Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Key takeaways:
- Earwax — or cerumen — protects the ear from bacteria, viruses, and foreign objects.
- Excessive earwax can lead to an earwax blockage or cerumen impaction, which can cause ear pain and hearing changes.
- People are more likely to develop excessive earwax if they regularly wear hearing aids and earbuds, or get exposed to dust and pollen.
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Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a waxy substance that moisturizes, cleans, and lubricates the ear canal. It also helps protect the inside part of the ear from injury and infection by trapping dirt, pollen, and even bacteria.
Having some earwax in your ear is actually a good thing. Most people don’t need to remove earwax or clean it out. But other people have too much earwax, which can lead to a buildup called cerumen impaction. Cerumen impaction can cause symptoms like:
- Earache
- Muffled hearing
- Ear ringing
- Itchiness
- Dizziness (vertigo)
- Ear fullness
If you were recently treated for a cerumen impaction, you might be wondering what you can do to keep yourself from getting another one. Or maybe you’ve just noticed more earwax around your ears than normal. In either case, pinpointing what’s causing you to make so much earwax can help. Here are five things that could be causing your earwax buildup.
Hearing aids, earbuds, and earplugs
Anything that sits just inside your ear canal — like hearing aids, earbuds, and ear plugs — will cause earwax buildup. Normally, earwax is pushed out of the ear canal by jaw movement. This happens little by little each day as you talk or chew. But things that go inside the ears interfere with this process. They stent the ear canal open so the jaw movement doesn’t help squeeze the canal and propel the earwax out.
Occasional earbud or earplug use probably won’t affect your earwax production. But routine use, especially for several hours during work, commutes, and studying, will affect your earwax. Try switching to headphones instead. If you need to wear earplugs for work, try switching to other forms of ear protection, like OSHA-approved earmuffs.
If you wear hearing aids, talk with your audiologist about your earwax. They may recommend switching your hearing aid style. You can also talk with your healthcare provider about earwax softeners, which can help prevent impaction.
Pollen counts and dust levels
During allergy season, when pollen counts are high, you might notice you have more earwax.
Earwax traps small particles like pollen before they can get to your eardrums and cause irritation. If all of a sudden your ears get attacked by high levels of these small particles, the glands that make earwax kick into overdrive. They start producing more wax to trap all that extra dust and pollen.
Exposure to dust or other small particles can also trigger excessive earwax production. If you’re exposed to dust or fine particles at work, wearing ear protection can keep you from making too much earwax.
Allergy medication will keep your allergy symptoms under control, but they won’t stop your glands from making earwax. But there are still things you can do to lower your earwax production. Try to limit your time outside during high pollen counts. In addition to washing your hands, wash your face (and the outside of your ears) when you come inside to get extra pollen off. If you’re driving during pollen season, keep your windows shut.
Cotton swabs and balls, and earwax candles
Things like cotton swabs (Q-tips), cotton balls, and candles end up pushing your ear wax deeper into your ear. Then your earwax gets stuck and dried out so it can’t come out easily. Over time, more and more wax builds up, which increases your risk of developing an impaction.
Experts recommend not using these things to clean your ears. Instead you can try earwax cleaning methods that are both safe and effective. These include:
- Use a clean towel after showering to dry and clean the outside of your ear. There’s no need to put anything inside your ear canal to clean your ear.
- Use 2 to 3 drops of earwax softeners once a week. These help your earwax stay soft so it comes out easier.
Cold weather
Humidity drops during cold winter months. This loss of humidity dries out the skin all over your body — including the skin inside your ear canal. Dry skin cells inside your ear canal flake off and build up in your ear canal. This prompts your glands to make more wax to try and get rid of those extra skin cells so they don’t accumulate inside your ear.
Regular moisturizing during cold months can protect the rest of your skin from drying out. While you can’t put moisturizer inside your ear canal, there are things you can do to get more moisture to that skin.
Keep a humidifier running in your bedroom overnight during cold winter months. You can also leave bowls of water out in your home. This cost-effective method doesn’t work quite as well as a humidifier but will still add moisture to the air to protect your skin.
Skin conditions
Certain skin conditions can prompt your glands to make more earwax. Eczema and psoriasis can affect the skin inside your ear canal. Eczema and psoriasis make the skin more sensitive and more likely to flake off. The buildup of dead skin cells triggers your glands to make more earwax to help push out the buildup.
You’ll notice more earwax when you’re having a flare. But when your eczema or psoriasis is under control, your earwax production should go back to normal. Stick with your treatment plan and avoiding triggers can help keep your skin healthy and your earwax to a minimum.
When should you see a healthcare provider for earwax?
You should see a healthcare provider if you’re having symptoms of an earwax impaction like pain or muffled hearing. Don’t try to get stuck earwax out on your own.
It’s also a good idea to touch base with your healthcare provider if you notice a huge uptick in the amount of earwax you’re making. Your healthcare provider can help pinpoint other, less common causes for increased earwax. They can also take a look inside your ear canal. This can reveal signs of skin inflammation or irritation.
Your healthcare provider can also show you how to do saline ear irrigation at home. It takes practice but this is a safe way to keep your earwax under control.
The bottom line
The body naturally produces earwax to help protect and lubricate the ear canal. You may be more prone to earwax buildup if you wear hearing aids, earbuds, or earplugs frequently. Dust, pollen, cold weather, and skin conditions can also trigger an increased production of earwax.
If you tend to experience earwax buildup, it’s important to routinely and safely clean out your ears (no cotton swabs!). Talk with your healthcare provider if your earwax is leading to ear pain or hearing changes. You may have an earwax impaction, which should be removed only by a healthcare professional.
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