Ear wax (cerumen) is a protective covering in the ear canal that helps protect the skin of the external ear canal from water damage, infection, trauma, and foreign bodies. Impacted ear wax is when ear wax accumulates enough to cause symptoms.
Impacted ear wax is more common in young children and older adults.
What Are Symptoms of Impacted Ear Wax?
Impacted ear wax usually doesn’t cause problems, but may cause bothersome symptoms in one or both ears, such as:
Impacted ear wax is diagnosed with a physical exam in which a doctor uses an otoscope (an instrument with a light and magnifier used to look inside the ear).
Hearing tests may also be indicated.
What Is the Treatment for Impacted Ear Wax?
For impacted ear wax that causes no symptoms, treatment is not always needed. Ear wax may go away on its own over time.
If you have symptoms of impacted earwax, treatment includes:
Ear drops
Rinsing (done by a medical professional)
Special tools used by a medical professional to remove ear wax including small sticks, hooks, and spoons and tools that use suction to pull the wax out
Do NOT:
Clean your ears yourself using a cotton swab (Q-tip)
This can push wax deeper into the ears and cause impaction or make it worse
Use “ear candling,” which involves lighting one end of a hollow candle and putting the other end in the ear
This method does not work and can cause ear injury and burns
What Are Complications of Impacted Ear Wax?
Impacted ear wax does not usually cause complications, but in rare cases, treatments for ear wax removal can cause complications such as:
Earwax blockage that has no symptoms can sometimes clear on its own. However, if you have signs and symptoms of earwax blockage, talk to your health care provider. Signs and symptoms may signal another condition.
Ear drops alone will clear a plug of earwax in most cases. Put 2 or 3 drops of ordinary olive oil down the ear 2 or 3 times a day for 2-3 weeks. This softens the wax so that it then runs out of its own accord without harming the ear. You can continue for any length of time, but 3 weeks is usually enough.
You also can try hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room temperature water. Place 2 drops of the fluid, warmed to body temperature, in the ear two times a day for up to 5 days. Once the wax is loose and soft, all that is usually needed to remove it from the ear canal is a gentle, warm shower.
The ear canal skin slowly moves out of the ear canal. It carries the earwax along with it. The wax dries up and becomes flaky. It falls out of the ear on its own.
Earwax blockage that has no symptoms can sometimes clear on its own. However, if you have signs and symptoms of earwax blockage, talk to your health care provider. Signs and symptoms may signal another condition.
You can buy over-the-counter eardrops that break up earwax. The water-based ones contain ingredients such as acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. Oil-based products lubricate and soften the earwax.
Your provider can also flush out the wax using a syringe filled with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide. Medicated ear drops may also be recommended to help soften the wax, such as carbamide peroxide (Debrox Earwax Removal Kit, Murine Ear Wax Removal System).
But a clogged ear is typically temporary, and your ear will likely clear on its own within a few hours or days depending on the cause: Fluid: If your ears are clogged by water or another fluid, they will often clear quickly. Air pressure: If the blockage is caused by air pressure, it may take a few days to go away.
Build-up of earwax can block the ear canal (impaction) giving a temporary hearing loss and discomfort and can contribute to outer ear infections (otitis externa). Hearing loss due to impacted wax can be frustrating and stressful and, if untreated, can contribute to social isolation and depression.
If the aim is to completely break down the wax, waxsol, peroxide 3% or a sodium bicarbonate solution (which can be prepared by your local pharmacist) is effective.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
