White, smelly earwax often signals a problem like an infection (bacterial or fungal) or excessive buildup, where trapped moisture and dead skin create a foul odor, sometimes accompanied by flaky skin from dryness or conditions like eczema. While pale, dry wax can be normal, a strong smell (like cheese, vinegar, or fish) combined with whiteness or other symptoms means you should see a doctor to rule out an infection or foreign object, especially if there's pain, fever, or discharge.
Too much moisture inside the ear can break down the skin on the ear canal walls, making it easier for bacteria and fungi to enter and cause infection. Symptoms of outer ear infections include mild fever, swollen and red ear, itching, reduced hearing, pus discharge from the ear, and foul-smelling earwax.
Very light or white earwax tends to be a sign that the skin of your ear canal is very dry and flaky.
It's natural in much the same way that sweat naturally has an odor. And these odors are different for everyone. On the other hand, foul-swelling earwax may be a sign of an ear infection or other condition.
Green Ear Wax: Often a sign of infection, especially if accompanied by a bad smell. Grey Ear Wax: This indicates ear drainage or be triggered by dust or particles. Red or Pink Ear Wax: A sign of blood in the wax, potentially from an injury.
The otoscope will allow the provider to look at the surface of the eardrum. A healthy eardrum looks pinkish-gray. An infection of the middle ear, or an ear with otitis media, looks red, bulging, and there may be clear, yellow, or even greenish hued drainage.
A cholesteatoma is a growth that usually only affects the inside of 1 ear. Common symptoms may include: a watery, smelly, discharge that comes out of the ear. a gradual loss of hearing in the affected ear.
A variety of common conditions like ear infections, allergies, and a buildup of earwax can cause itchiness. Swimmer's ear and wearing hearing aids can also cause itchy ears.
Symptoms of earwax blockage may include:
Draining from the ear (yellow or white fluid, possibly blood-tinged; there may also be a foul odor)
If you are experiencing these symptoms, the runny, cloudy substance is probably not wax but rather a fluid related to a bacterial or fungal infection, which may need to be treated with prescription ear drops. Keep the ear dry and seek medical advice.
Another method flushes out the wax with a syringe full of warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide. Your healthcare professional may recommend medicated ear drops to help soften the wax, such as carbamide peroxide (Debrox Earwax Removal Kit, Murine Ear Wax Removal System).
The ears are self-cleaning for most people. Earwax migrates from deeper in the ear canal to the ear canal opening via different mechanisms, including normal skin migration pattern and movement of the jaw joint. These mechanism help push earwax outward toward the ear canal opening.
Dry earwax in itself does not seem to create any problem. In fact, this one-letter change in the DNA code for the ABCC11 gene has a pleasant consequence: less stinky sweat. Indeed, some of the same glands involved in producing earwax secrete sweat elsewhere in the body.
For the average person, ear canals shouldn't need cleaning, but you can gently clean the outside of your ears daily to keep yourself feeling fresh. Just remember that cleaning your ears too frequently can cause an infection and might even increase the chances of earwax impaction.
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly those high in vitamin C and antioxidants, can support overall ear health. Vitamin C and antioxidants help strengthen the immune system, potentially reducing the risk of ear infections and associated changes in ear wax odour and consistency.
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.
Signs and symptoms of earwax blockage may include:
A: Ear wax production is often triggered by what hearing health care professionals call a contact stimulus. Objects like headphones, earbuds and even hearing aids that contact and rub the ears are the biggest culprits.
The symptoms of an ear infection usually start quickly and include:
You have glands throughout your ear canals that produce a substance called cerumen, more commonly known as “earwax.” Excess earwax production can cause blockages and buildups that trap moisture in your ears. This can lead to a “water-in-ear” feeling, even if there's no actual water present.
Using hydrogen peroxide to remove water from ear is an effective solution for relieving water trapped in the ear, especially after activities like swimming or showering.
However, sometimes it can be a sign of infection or even eczema. It is important to consult a doctor or audiologist if you have white or grey earwax along with any pain or inflammation. White earwax is also very common in young children and there are usually no causes for concern or pose any health risks.
Cholesteatoma — this is an abnormal growth of cells in the middle ear. It can cause fluid with a bad smell to leak from your ear. A serious head injury — this can cause fluid from your brain to leak out of your ear. The fluid might look clear or blood-stained.
Green or green-tinted earwax, especially when accompanied by pus or a foul smell, likely indicates infection. Red-streaked, bloody earwax can indicate injury, a bug bite in the ear canal or a ruptured eardrum. Gray or black earwax occurs when there are particles in the ear or when earwax is impacted.