Earwax protects the ear canal and usually clears out on its own. When it builds up in excess, however, it can form a plug that causes a blocked feeling in the ear, reduced hearing, ringing in the ears and sometimes pain or dizziness.
Blocked ear and earwax plug — ear irrigation by an ENT specialist
Earwax protects the ear canal and usually clears out on its own. When it builds up in excess, however, it can form a plug that causes a blocked feeling in the ear, reduced hearing, ringing in the ears and sometimes pain or dizziness.
About the problem
Factors that contribute to a plug include cleaning the ears with cotton swabs, which push the wax deeper, wearing hearing aids or in-ear headphones, narrow ear canals and a tendency to produce excess earwax.
Before removing the earwax, the ENT specialist examines the ear canal and eardrum to rule out other causes of the symptoms, e.g. inflammation.
Earwax is most often removed by irrigating the ear or mechanically, under direct vision. Irrigation is not performed in some situations, such as a perforated eardrum — which is why the doctor’s assessment before the procedure is important.
Most common symptoms
- a blocked feeling in the ear
- reduced hearing, often sudden after bathing or swimming
- ringing in the ears
- itching or discomfort in the ear
- sometimes ear pain or dizziness
When to see a doctor
- when the ear has been blocked for more than a few days
- urgently — when your hearing has suddenly worsened, as the cause is not always earwax
- when pain, discharge from the ear or fever appear
- when home remedies do not help