Educational information, not medical advice. This article is written to help you understand common ear and hearing issues. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. If your symptoms are severe, sudden, or persistent, please consult a qualified doctor or audiologist. For urgent symptoms (sudden hearing loss, bleeding from the ear, severe pain with dizziness, or a head injury), seek medical care the same day.

Ear wax is normal and protective, and how much you make is partly inherited. Some people produce more, or have narrow or hairy canals that hold it in. Cotton buds, earphones and hearing aids can push it deeper. Leave it alone unless it blocks your hearing, then use softening drops or see a professional.

The direct answer

Ear wax (cerumen) is made by glands in the ear canal and protects the ear by trapping dust and germs. Producing a lot of it is often just how you are made, but heavy build-up is commonly made worse by pushing it back with cotton buds, and by wearing earphones or hearing aids. It only needs treatment if it blocks the canal and causes symptoms.

Why some people make more

Genetics: the amount and type of wax are partly inherited. Wax can be wet and honey-brown or dry, pale and flaky.
Canal shape: narrow, curved or hairy canals let wax collect.
Age: wax becomes drier and harder as we get older.
Frequent stimulation: earphones, earplugs and hearing aids can stop wax from moving out on its own.
Cotton buds: these push wax deeper, where it packs into a plug.
Dusty, polluted environments can add to build-up.

Signs of a wax blockage

Muffled hearing or a blocked feeling.
Ringing, itching or mild earache.
Dizziness or a cough in some people.
Hearing aids whistling or working poorly.

What to do and what to avoid

Do not use cotton buds, hairpins or keys in the ear.
Do not use ear candles. See ear candling.
Soften it with wax-softening drops, used as directed, for a few days.
Get it removed professionally if it does not clear, using microsuction or gentle irrigation. See ear wax removal: microsuction vs syringing.
Do not irrigate or use drops if you may have a hole in the eardrum, or if you have had ear surgery or ear infections. See perforated eardrum.
Wipe the outer ear only, with a cloth. See how to clean your ears safely at home.

If you wear hearing aids

Hearing aid users often need regular wax checks, and wax also blocks the speaker of receiver-in-canal aids. Clean the aids daily and replace wax filters on schedule. See how to clean and maintain hearing aids.

If your hearing feels muffled, a free hearing test will show whether wax is the cause. Sudden hearing change, pain or discharge needs an ENT. This article is general information and does not replace medical advice.

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