You've Got Earwax? We've got Answers!

It's normal for your body to produce earwax. It helps protect and lubricate your ears. If you didn't have earwax, your ears would probably be itchy and dry.

Ear wax naturally cleans the ear canal as it moves from the inner part outwards. It gathers dead skin cells, hair, and dirt along the way. It even has antibacterial properties, which means your ears are self-cleaning. Earwax is like a filter for your ears, keeping out harmful things such as dirt and dust and trapping them so they don't go deep inside. Ear wax also has a scent to it that acts as a deterrent for insects who may otherwise find the ear to be a hospitable environment.

In normal circumstances, excess wax finds its way out of the canal and into the ear opening naturally, and then it is washed away. When you chew and move your jaw, you help move old earwax from the ear canal to the ear opening. That's where it usually dries up and falls out. Earwax isn't formed in the deep part of your ear canal; it's made in the outer section. So, most times, the reason you'd have an earwax blockage up against your eardrum is because you tried to clean your ears with a cotton swab — or something like it — and pushed the wax in deeper.

If you use hearing aids or earplugs, this also can push earwax in deeper. Ear canal anatomy also plays a role. If you have twisty, narrow, bumpy or hairy ear canals, earwax cannot fall out easily. Age is also a factor– young children and older adults are at higher risk for over producing earwax.

Earwax is a problem when it causes symptoms like hearing loss, discomfort, dizziness, tinnitus (ringing/buzzing in the ear) or persistent coughing. In these cases, the best thing to do see a professional. We will be able to see the earwax and determine the best method of removal for your case. This could be flushing with water, manual removal with curettes or forceps or using a tiny vacuum to suction it out. We will also be able to assess the health of the eardrum and confirm that your ear and hearing is healthy post removal. We can give you informed suggestions on prevention of earwax build up in the future.