Earwax: What You Should Know
By Alan S. Peterson, M.D.
What Is Earwax?
Earwax or cerumen is a wax made in your ear. It protects the skin inside your ear canal.
Can Earwax Cause A Problem?
Not in most people. Wax can build up and block your ear canal. This can cause hearing problems, ringing in your ear or dizziness. Those with hearing aids know well what a little bit of wax can do as far as their hearing is concerned.
Who Gets Earwax Buildup?
Anyone can get it. It is more likely in:
- Older people
- People with mental retardation
- People who use cotton swabs or Q-tips in their ears
- People who wear hearing aids or earplugs
How Can My Doctor Tell If I Have Too Much Earwax?
Your doctor can look in your ear canal to see if there is too much wax or if it is blocking your ear canal.
What If I Have Earwax Buildup?
Your doctor can remove earwax buildup with an ear spoon, use ear drops to soften the wax, or wash (syringe) out the ear with water. There are many over-the-counter products that can remove the wax. If you use one of these, be sure to follow the directions on the package. If you are diabetic, it’s not a great idea to put water in your ears for any reason unless done so by your doctor because that can sometimes predispose you to a significant infection. Never put cotton swabs or Q-tips or other items into your ear canal. Talk to your doctor if you are worried about wax build-up.
If you want to try to take care of the problem on your own, one study in the medical literature suggests putting a teaspoonful of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in just less than a cup of water. This makes a 10% solution. Then you place five to six drops in the ear that has the wax for a minimum of one to two hours. If you are placing cotton in the ear canal to hold the solution in place, add more drops as some will be absorbed by the cotton. The article suggests that this is as good as most commercial products. For those of you who have frequent wax build up, you can do this every three months. Sometimes you may have to repeat this for several days if you have allowed the wax build up to occur over a long period of time. Remember that the more frequently you put or get water in your ears, the greater the tendency for an ear infection called otitis externa or swimmer’s ear. Wax does not cause the ear to hurt so if you have ear pain at any time, unless it’s with a viral cold, you should have a doctor see if there is a treatable problem in the ear other than wax.
Dr. Peterson is a doctor of Family and Community Medicine at the Walter L. Aument Family Health Center, 317 S. Chestnut St., Quarryville.