Wax in the ears is a common and easily treatable cause of deafness, discomfort, and sometimes ringing in your ears (tinnitus).



You may notice a build-up of wax by:

  • having increasing difficulty hearing
  • pain in your ear or ears
  • hearing a noise or ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
  • an awareness of something blocking your ears
  • temporary deafness after swimming or having a bath or shower
  • Causes





    An otoscope can be used to look into your ears for signs of excess ear wax. We all produce wax, what you are looking for is evidence of the wax actually blocking off the ear canal.

    Deafness can be caused by other problems in the ear, and if there is not enough wax to explain your problem, a doctor will be able to discuss possible causes for your symptoms, eg fluid collecting on the other side of the ear drum when the tube which drains from the middle ear to the throat (the eustachian tube) has become blocked, as after a cold.


    If you think you have ear wax blocking your ears, either buy some wax softening drops, from the pharmacy, or use a couple of drops of warmed (body temperature) olive oil into your ear two or three times a day, for a few days.

    After three or four days arrange to see someone regarding having your ears washed out. The nurse at your doctor's office will usually be able to do this for you. You can also gentle swish your ears with warm water while showering from a nasal bulb syringe of the type that is often used for suctioning infants noses.




  • Do not try to clean out your ears by using a cotton bud. (Ear Nose and Throat specialists sometimes say "You shouldn't stick anything in your ear that's any smaller than your elbow!") This may merely act like a ram rod, and could damage the ear drum.
  • It may help to wear ear plugs if you work in a particularly dusty environment.
  • If you keep getting ears blocked with wax, it may be worth using a couple of drops of olive oil into each ear once or twice a week.