Earwax | Ear Specialist Dr Rebecca Heywood

Tel: 65 6950 2869

Earwax

What is Earwax

Ear wax (or cerumen) is a natural substance produced in your ears from skin shed in the ear canal mixed with oils and antimicrobials from hair follicles. It helps to keep the ears clean naturally by filtering out dust, debris and other substances. It also protects the ear canal from infection.

Earwax occluding the ear canal

Earwax removal using microsuction

Trauma to the ear canal from cleaning with a cotton bud

What causes Earwax build-up?

Some people just produce more earwax than others due to a genetic predisposition. Excessive earwax can also build up if you:

use cotton buds or other objects in your ear canal – they tend to push the wax deeper inside, leading to blockage
use earphones or earplugs frequently
have small or hairy ear canals, or bony growths (exostoses or osteomata) in the ear canal that make it more difficult for wax to migrate out of the ear canal naturally

Too much earwax can cause hearing loss, dizziness, ear pain, ear itchiness, ear discharge, and tinnitus. These symptoms usually resolve when the earwax is removed.

How is Earwax Build-up treated?

Earwax can be removed in the clinic using microsuction, a quick, safe and pain free technique. Occasionally you may need to apply ear wax softening drops first if the wax is very hard.

If you are prone to wax build up then regular use of olive oil ear drops can help the wax to migrate out of the ear canal more easily.