Signs Ear Wax Is Affecting Someone’s Health

You're overcome with crippling tinnitus

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To kick off the list, a massive sign that earwax is affecting your health is the presence of tinnitus. If you didn't know, tinnitus is the experience of sounds in the ears that aren't actually there, and is usually when you hear a ringing sound. Those who suffer with extreme tinnitus report that it can cause pain!

You get consistent infections of the ear

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If you've managed to lodge your earwax so far down your ear canal that it's become stuck, then this will make you more susceptible to ear infections which can be both uncomfortable and painful. If the infections are left untreated for a long period of time it can lead to meningitis or paralysis.

Eventual hearing loss

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If you've got bunged up earwax stuck somewhere in the ear, it's obvious that you're going to experience some kind of hearing loss. However, if the earwax is jammed in by foreign objects, then the pressure on the eardrum could cause irreversible damage.

You have persistent and painful earache

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As mentioned before, the earwax pressed deeply in the ear canal is going to cause all kinds of problems, one of the most obvious ones being pain. Those with massive amounts of earwax build-up claim that the pain is one of the worst effects of the condition.

You experience bouts of dizziness

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Did you know that our ear canals are what help us remain balanced throughout our lives? This is why sometimes when you've come down with a cold you can feel dizzy. Well, if you're ears are bunged up, you might just get the sensation more than you'd like.

Your ear feels full

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People who have excess amounts of earwax built up within the ear canal have reported experiencing a sense of "fullness" within their ears. I assume this just feels like you are pretty blocked up most of the time. Obviously, if left untreated, it can go on to cause all sorts of issues.

A persistent cough

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Because of the irritation that blocked ear canals cause, it can trigger a coughing fit quite regularly, which might just be the body's way of trying to clear out the ears naturally. Our ears are much more than listening devices and are part of our vital senses.

An unpleasant smell coming from the ear canal

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With blocked ears can come many kinds of infections. When these infections start, they can produce bacteria that makes our ears start to smell how they shouldn't. Obviously, nobody wants a smelly ear, so if this is you, you might want to get it checked out.

An insatiable itchiness in the ear

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Have you ever had that itch right in the ear canal that you just can't seem to scratch no matter how hard you try? Well, if this is you then you just might have a build-up of excess earwax within your ears that you probably want looking at, especially if it's causing you discomfort.

Unusual discharge oozing from the ear

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Along with the bad smells when you're overcome with an ear infection, the ear can start to produce a discharge that'll dribble out. This kind of effect can happen quite often if the problems are left untreated, so you should start to look at ways in which you can treat your earwax issue.

People have told you they can see you ear-wax

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Is there anything more embarrassing than someone telling you they can see the earwax built up in your ear? While earwax is obviously a natural part of our ears cleaning themselves, it can still be a humbling experience if someone catches sight of earwax on the outer canal.

Hairy ear canals can cause more of a build up

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Naturally, if you've got excessive amounts of hair in the ear canal, this can trap some of the wax that the ears are producing, leading to an unwanted big build-up. If this is you, try and buy yourself an ear trimmer (but be careful not to stick it too far down the ear!).

You have bad allergies

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There's actually a name for the condition when you get blocked ears and that is Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. While it can affect anyone of any age, the most prevalent are those with preexisting conditions like allergies (particularly hay-fever like allergies).

You've started to experience vertigo

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Did you know, there's actually a name for the condition of blocked ears, which is known as Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. The condition can affect many people, but is more commonly known to affect people who suffer from certain factors, for example vertigo.

You're susceptible to colds

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Much like the above, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction can be more commonly found in those who suffer with cold and flu more often. Essentially, when we are ill, the build up of mucus happens more than it should, causing the blockage in the tubes, which can lead to further problems.

You have a skin condition in the ear causing a build up

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It doesn't all just go in inside the ear, you know. One of the leading causes of earwax build-up within your ears is having a skin condition. The skin condition doesn't necessarily have to be inside the ear canal, and can be on the scalp or around the ear!

You shove cotton swabs into the ear

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We've all heard the dangers of doing this... yet we do it anyway! There are more efficient ways of cleaning your ears out, we know that much, but using cotton swabs to try and scrape out the wax seems to be the simplest and easiest thing to do, even though it can worsen a blockage.

Your ears have issues equalizing the pressure

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Blocked ears can basically result from unequalized pressure in the ear. Usually, people only have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction mildly but the condition can affect many people. Basically, having bunged up ears interrupts the tubes, meaning that the pressure is harder to equalize.

You've got "swimmer's ear"

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If you don't know what Swimmer's Ear is, it's a condition in which the outer ear canal becomes infected, running from your eardrum to the outside of your head. Why is it named after swimming? Well, the infection is usually brought on by a clog up of water and earwax left in the ear.

You use hearing aids most of the time

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Well, much like with cotton swabs, hearing aids can also lodge your earwax further back down the ear canal meaning that you're more susceptible to the conditions mentioned in this list. Although, it's much harder to avoid putting hearing aids in that it is cotton ear buds.

You've got misshapen ear canals

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Similar to the way in which hairy ear canals can cause issues with earwax, misshapen ones can too. If you've got narrow ear canals, then you're more likely to have that horrid build-up of earwax that nobody wants. You might want to get checked out by the doctors if this is you.

As you get older, earwax will prove more difficult to get rid of

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When you age, so does your earwax believe it or not. Your earwax can become harder and dryer as your age goes up, meaning it's even more difficult to get rid of it than it was before. This may be a reason why so many older people suffer with ear problems.

You might have bony growths in the outer part of the ear canal

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The shape of the ear really can effect how earwax manages to get stuck in there and cause a backlog. If you've got bony growth in the outer part of the ear canal then you're definitely more likely to experience excess earwax blocking up the ear canals.

Luckily, there are ways of treating earwax build up

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As mentioned above, there are better ways of treating your earwax than shoving foreign objects down the ear canal. Not only can they cause more damage, they definitely shouldn't be in there and can be unhelpful in the long run. Luckily for you, we have set out a few ways you can help ease your earwax build-up.

Chew gum on flights when traveling

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One of the most prevalent times when earwax build-up can become an issue is flying. The high altitude messes with the Eustachian tubes and how they work. If you make an active effort to chew gum while up in the air, this will active the Eustachian tubes by changing the pressure in the mouth.

Using eardrops will definitely be helpful

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Eardrops are easy enough to buy over the counter and can provide some much needed relief when it comes to earwax blockages in the ear. Just a couple of drops of these could do the trick as it breaks the earwax up and allows it to fall out. It's not for all skin types though, so be careful.

Yawning is surprisingly helpful in clearing the ears

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Have you ever experienced that satisfying relief when you let out a big yawn and your ears "pop". Well, it can do wonders for the earwax built up in the ear canal, so try to induce a big yawn to see if it helps clear any of that nasty stuff out of there.

Use a nasal decongestant before flights

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A nasal decongestant can also help with your ears when it comes to taking flights. If you regularly feel pain or disoriented when it comes to flying, a quick quirt of nasal spray might just solve the trick, about half an hour before you're due to fly.

Hydrogen peroxide might help with your problem!

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Lots of people opt to use the hydrogen peroxide method of clearing out their ears. Essentially, this is just putting a few drops into the affected ear and lying on the opposite side. It will then break up the earwax within the ear. Always look up the safety and method first though!

Get yourself a pair of Earplanes

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Earplanes are a fantastic invention. They are essentially ear plugs that can be used when flying on planes, and generally give relief when it comes to the pressure changes in the ear. Obviously, it won't clear out the ears but might give you some temporary relief.

Remember: ear wax is normal!

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Many people think of ear wax as something to be completely cleared out, because it can be annoying and 'unclean' - but the fact is, ear wax is there for a reason, and it's your ear's way of keeping the inside clean and fending off bacteria that could cause bigger problems.

Ear wax only becomes a problem when it's affecting your health

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Of course, that doesn't mean that ear wax can't become a big issue when there's far too much of it! It can be uncomfortable and painful. While some ear wax is needed for your ears to self clean and stay health, too much ear wax will need looking into and clearing out.

Don't go overboard with ear cleaning

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If you're thinking that regularly cleaning your ears will keep on top of any extra wax issues and that you can then keep your ear in the best condition, it can actually have the opposite effect. Too much ear cleaning can lead to irritation, as well as actually backfiring and causing more wax!

And avoid sticking anything small in your ear

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The only way to 'dig deep' and get wax out of your ear is to go poking around in there with something small - a Q-tip being the most obvious choice, but some people can stick something small in there, like a tooth pick, if they get an itch they can't scratch otherwise. But this could risk damaging your ear canal, or puncturing your ear drum!

Ear candles aren't the best solution

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Ear candles have been seen all over the internet - or maybe you've had one recommended to you - as a way of giving your ears a good clean out. The heated candle is supposed to act as a sort of suction for any wax in there and clean it out. But studies have shown that ear candles might not actually work, and - worse - can risk damaging the inside of the ear.

Don't forget to clean your hearing aid, too!

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If you're wearing a hearing aid regularly, and you're battling with ear wax, it's important to keep on top of your hearing aid cleaning schedule, done by a professional. You don't want to be putting a dirty hearing aid in your ear which could exacerbate the wax and bacteria problem.

Replace ear plugs regularly

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The same goes for ear plugs! Anything you're sticking in your ear. If you regularly wear ear plugs for bed, for your work or for leisure activities like concerts, you'll want to get disposable options or regularly clean the permanent ones you use all the time. Keep it all clean!

Earwax actually does the ear some good

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You might think that an overload ear wax is a huge problem, but your ears could actually be in a worse state if you cleared out all the ear wax. Without it, your ear could feel very dry and very itchy, and be more prone to infections. The wax is there to keep it lubricated and comfortable.

A lot of cleaning methods can push the wax further in

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The most marketed cleaner for ear wax is the Q-tip, but really this is the worse thing you could use. That's because anything small that you're moving around in the inside of your ear can risk only pushing the wax in deeper rather than digging it all out. And that can cause worse issues, like pushing it into your ear drum.

You might even risk dislocating your hearing bones!

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The bones in your ear are the tiniest bones in your whole body, and as you can imagine, they're very delicate. Your whole ear is delicate, in fact, which is why going to town on digging around in there could even risk dislocating these tiny bones that are down in your ear.

How about those earphones?

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If you wear in-ear headphones rather than over your head, a sure sign of an earwax problem can be when you take one out to see it covered! It's never pleasant, but this also means you should keep on top of your earphone cleaning, because you don't want to be putting all that wax back in!

It's completely normal for ear wax to be different colors

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You might think that a difference in ear wax color means something is wrong health wise or something has changed in your ear - or maybe your color doesn't match your friend's if that's the sort of thing you like comparing notes on. But ear wax can be a variety of colors - mainly brown, yellow, red or gray.

It can be wet or dry - and both are normal

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Just like different colors are perfectly normal, so is the fact it can be wet or dry. It's nothing to worry about if yours is only ever wet or only ever dry. It depends on genetics for whether it's going to be more of a dry or wet consistency for you, so don't be alarmed if yours isn't what you thought the first time you pick it up!

Ear wax is not actually wax

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Confusing isn't it - as they dropped a huge red herring with the name! But alas, ear wax isn't actually wax - or at least not what we'd think of when we think of wax. But you might actually sleep better still thinking its wax - instead of thinking about the fact it's actually dead skin cells and secretions...

The movements of the mouth and jaw help with ear self-cleaning

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The reason that a build up of ear wax can be such a problem is because usually it's supposed to be a self-cleaning, automated process where the ear wax is expelled by your body. It's the movements of the mouth and jaw - like when you're chewing - that help this to happen naturally.

It's actually a natural bug repellent

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Have you ever had that awful nightmare about a bug crawling into your ear? Well you don't need to worry (at least not too much) because ear wax is a natural bug repellent that's supposed to deter bugs from getting inside the ear canal and compromising it. But the reason we say 'not too much' is because it repels them by stopping them in their tracks... by making them get stuck. So yeah, they still could be there. Just not too far in!

Bacteria actually gets stuck on the wax

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The impressive way in which ear wax helps to keep your ears clean is by clearing out the bacteria through its sticky residue! Bacteria, along with dirt and dead skin cells, will all get stuck on the ear wax and then get shipped out of the ear canal when the wax moves out.

Ear wax will actually be different depending on where you're from

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You know how we mentioned it can be wet and dry? That's mainly down to your genetics and where you're from. It's very similar to sweat in that it can be different depending on your race. Some races have dry and crumbly ear wax, while wetter ear wax is more common with Africans and Europeans.

Stress might play a factor in ear wax buildup

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Did you know that stress could actually impact your ear wax, too? At least that's what some studies have suggested. Apparently anxiety and stress can have an impact on how much ear wax buildup you have - which means if you're having to see a doctor for ear wax removal, you might want to think about how stressed you've been recently...

Natural oils can be a good option for helping the wax cleaning process

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There are a lot of things you shouldn't be putting inside your ear - mainly hard and pointy - but natural oils can actually help with clearing out ear wax. We don't mean pour a whole bottle in, but a tiny few drops of oils like olive or almond can help the natural process of your wax clearing itself out!