Hardened earwax feels like a blocked, full, or pressurized sensation in the ear, similar to having water stuck in it after swimming, often accompanied by muffled hearing, itching, ringing (tinnitus), or a feeling that something is physically stuck inside. It can also cause pain, dizziness, or a foul odor, especially if it leads to an infection, and makes using earbuds or hearing aids difficult.
Symptoms of earwax build-up include: hearing loss. earache or a feeling that your ears are blocked.
Having too much earwax is another reason for impaction. While your body naturally gets rid of earwax, it can only handle so much. If there's too much, some of it may harden before your body is able to push it out through the ear canal.
Despite its many benefits, earwax can cause issues if too much of it builds up. Cerumen impaction may result in ear pain, itchiness, ringing in your ears, hearing loss or other issues. When necessary, a healthcare provider can help you with earwax removal.
Common Signs of Earwax Impaction
One of the most common indicators of earwax impaction is a feeling of fullness or blockage in the ear. This sensation can vary, depending on the extent of the buildup. People often describe it as feeling like their ear is plugged or as if there is something stuck inside.
As you get older, earwax tends to become harder and less mobile. Older adults are more likely to have problems with too much earwax. It can cause symptoms, such as hearing loss. It can also prevent a full exam of the ear.
To sleep with an ear infection, elevate your head or sleep on your non-affected side. Elevating the affected ear makes it easier for the infection to drain.
Ears can become clogged for various reasons, ranging from wax build-up to changes in pressure. Common causes include excess ear wax, sinus congestion, allergies, changes in altitude, water trapped in the ear canal, upper respiratory infections and Eustachian tube dysfunction.
As hormone levels (like estrogen and progesterone) rise, they can alter fluid balance, blood flow, and pressure regulation in the inner ear. These changes can lead to symptoms like ringing, buzzing, or a feeling of fullness in the ears.
Your healthcare professional can remove excess wax in the ear with a small, curved tool called a curet or with suction techniques. Another method flushes out the wax with a syringe full of warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide.
A few days is usually enough time for your body to get rid of any blockage. But the general rule of thumb is that if things persist for more than a week or so, it may be a wise idea to come in for a consultation. That sensation of feeling like your ears are blocked can also be an indication of hearing loss.
Given that excess ear wax can cause problems with hearing, ear wax removal is likely to lead to better hearing, as your ears will no be longer clogged with ear wax. You might experience some side effects like: Dizziness.
In most cases, earwax is self-cleaning. It slowly moves toward the outer ear and eventually flakes off or washes away. However, in some situations, it can accumulate and harden, leading to a blockage known as earwax impaction. This condition may result in discomfort and even long-term ear pain if left unaddressed.
At Specsavers, we use microsuction, which is the quickest and safest method of removing earwax. The tool gently sucks the wax from your ears, and has no contact with the eardrum or the sensitive skin of the ear canal.
The main difference is that 'wet' earwax will appear more sticky and yellow, whereas 'dry' earwax is usually more grey and flaky in texture.
Tilting your head to the side, gently pulling on your earlobe, or chewing can help drain trapped water. Why do my ears clog up during flights? Rapid changes in air pressure during air travel can affect your middle ear, especially during takeoff and landing.
If your ear feels muffled but there's no visible wax, the cause could be fluid trapped behind the eardrum, allergies, sinus congestion, or pressure changes. Another possibility is mild hearing loss or Eustachian tube dysfunction, which affects the way your ear equalises pressure.
If one ear is congested or infected, sleep with the affected ear facing upward so the unaffected ear supports your head and aids drainage. Avoid sleeping flat or face down, as these positions tend to encourage fluid buildup and increase pressure.
The anti-tragus is the small prominence just behind the tragus on the outer ear rim. Use your index finger to apply light pressure and massage these areas slowly in circular motions, about one minute per ear. These points may encourage sinus drainage and reduce ear congestion related to sinus swelling.
The symptoms of an ear infection usually start quickly and include:
Cholesteatoma is a special form of chronic inflammation of the middle ear. Skin tissue from the ear canal accumulates in the middle ear, which can lead to constant ear infections, pain, poor hearing, a feeling of pressure on the ear and discharge from the ear canal. A cholesteatoma is also known as a pearl tumor.
An otolith (Ancient Greek: ὠτο-, ōto- ear + λῐ́θος, líthos, a stone), also called otoconium, statolith, or statoconium, is a calcium carbonate structure in the saccule or utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the vestibular system of vertebrates.
Types of Professional Earwax Removal
Micro-suction is a pain-free, gentle process that uses a low pressure suction pump to safely remove earwax from the ear canal. Another way professionals remove excess earwax is through irrigation, which involves flushing the ear canal with water.