In This Article
There's a moment that happens to almost everyone. You're watching television, and you realise you've turned the volume up three notches higher than usual. Or someone speaks to you from across the room, and you find yourself saying "What?" for the third time. Maybe your ear just feels... off. Full. Muffled. Like you're hearing the world through a layer of cotton wool.
These moments are your body's way of telling you something. And more often than not, that something is earwax buildup.
Look, I get it. Earwax isn't exactly a topic that comes up in polite conversation. But ignoring the signs that your ears need professional attention can turn a minor inconvenience into a frustrating problem that affects your daily life. The good news? Recognising these signs early means you can get help before things get worse.
The Hearing Loss That Creeps Up on You
Hearing loss from earwax doesn't announce itself dramatically. There's no sudden silence, no obvious moment when everything goes quiet. Instead, it sneaks up on you gradually, so subtly that you might not even realise it's happening.
You start turning up the volume on your devices. The television gets louder. Your phone's ringer goes up a notch. You lean in closer during conversations, not because you're interested (though you might be), but because you genuinely can't hear properly.
Here's what's happening inside your ear. As wax accumulates in your ear canal, it creates a physical barrier between the outside world and your eardrum. Sound waves that should reach your eardrum clearly are now muffled, dampened by this waxy obstruction. The effect is similar to wearing earplugs—everything sounds distant, unclear, and frustratingly difficult to understand.
The hearing loss can be quite significant. A complete wax blockage can reduce your hearing by 30 to 40 decibels, which is roughly the difference between normal conversation and a whisper. That's enough to make everyday activities genuinely challenging.
What makes this particularly tricky is that the hearing loss often affects one ear more than the other. Your brain is remarkably good at compensating, using your better ear to fill in what the blocked ear is missing. This compensation masks the problem, allowing it to worsen before you fully realise what's happening.
That Uncomfortable Feeling of Fullness
You know that sensation you get when you're on an aeroplane and your ears haven't popped yet? That pressure, that fullness, that awareness that something isn't quite right? Earwax buildup can create a similar feeling, except it doesn't go away when you yawn or swallow.
The sensation develops because accumulated wax takes up space in your ear canal. Your ear canal is a relatively small space, and when a significant portion of it becomes filled with wax, you can actually feel it. Some people describe it as feeling like their ear is plugged or stuffed. Others say it feels like there's water trapped inside that won't drain out.
This fullness can be constant or intermittent. It might worsen when you move your head, lie down, or exercise. Some people find it more noticeable in quiet environments, when there's less external sound to distract from the internal sensation.
The feeling can be quite distressing, even when it's not painful. Your ears are supposed to feel open and clear, and when they don't, it creates a persistent awareness that something is wrong. This constant awareness can be mentally exhausting, affecting your concentration and mood.
The Ringing, Buzzing, or Humming That Won't Stop
Tinnitus—that's the medical term for hearing sounds that aren't actually there. Ringing, buzzing, humming, whistling, or hissing sounds that seem to come from inside your ear or head. And earwax buildup is one of the most common triggers.
When wax presses against your eardrum, it can stimulate the nerve endings in ways they're not meant to be stimulated. Your brain interprets these abnormal signals as sound, creating the phantom noises we call tinnitus. The sounds might be constant or intermittent, loud or soft, high-pitched or low-pitched.
Here's what makes earwax-related tinnitus different from other types. It often resolves completely once the wax is removed. Unlike tinnitus caused by hearing damage or other conditions, which may be permanent, tinnitus from earwax is usually temporary and treatable.
The tinnitus might worsen in quiet environments, when there's less external sound to mask it. Many people find it most noticeable at night, when they're trying to sleep. The silence amplifies the internal sounds, making them seem louder and more intrusive.
If you've developed tinnitus alongside other symptoms like hearing loss or ear fullness, earwax is a likely culprit. Even if you've had tinnitus for a while, it's worth having your ears checked—you might be surprised to find that wax removal provides significant relief.
The Earache That Shouldn't Be Ignored
Earwax itself doesn't usually cause pain. Your ear canal can accommodate quite a bit of wax without any discomfort. But when wax becomes impacted—compressed and hardened against your ear canal or eardrum—pain can develop.
The pain might be mild and intermittent, or it might be sharp and constant. Some people describe a dull ache deep inside the ear. Others experience sharp, stabbing pains that come and go. The discomfort often worsens when you move your jaw, lie on that side, or touch the outer part of your ear.
Impacted wax can also trap moisture in your ear canal, creating an environment where bacteria or fungi can thrive. This can lead to an infection called otitis externa, or swimmer's ear. The pain from an infection is typically more severe and may be accompanied by discharge, itching, or redness.
Here's the important bit. If you're experiencing ear pain, don't try to fix it yourself. Poking around in a painful ear with cotton buds or other objects can make things worse, potentially damaging the delicate skin of your ear canal or even perforating your eardrum. Professional assessment and treatment offer the safest path to relief.
The Dizziness That Throws You Off Balance
This one surprises people. How can earwax affect your balance? The answer lies in the intimate connection between your hearing and balance systems.
Your inner ear contains not just the structures responsible for hearing, but also the vestibular system—a complex arrangement of fluid-filled channels that detect head position and movement. When earwax presses against your eardrum in certain ways, it can affect the pressure in your middle ear, which in turn can influence the vestibular system.
The dizziness from earwax buildup is usually mild and may come and go. You might feel slightly off-balance, like the world is tilting slightly or like you're on a boat. Some people experience a spinning sensation (vertigo), though this is less common.
The dizziness often worsens with head movements or changes in position. You might notice it more when you stand up quickly, turn your head, or bend over. The sensation can be unsettling and may affect your confidence in moving around, particularly if you're elderly or already have balance issues.
Whilst earwax is a relatively benign cause of dizziness, the symptom itself shouldn't be taken lightly. Dizziness increases your risk of falls, which can have serious consequences, particularly for older adults. If you're experiencing dizziness alongside other symptoms of earwax buildup, professional ear cleaning may resolve the problem quickly and safely.
The Itching That Drives You Mad
An itchy ear canal is one of those sensations that's difficult to ignore. It's persistent, annoying, and incredibly tempting to scratch. But here's where things get tricky. The itch might be caused by earwax buildup, but scratching it can make the problem worse.
Excessive earwax can irritate the skin of your ear canal, creating an itchy sensation. Conversely, having too little earwax can also cause itching, as the skin becomes dry and irritated without its protective coating. Some people get caught in a vicious cycle—they remove too much wax trying to relieve the itch, which makes their ear canal dry and even itchier.
The itch might be accompanied by flaking or scaling skin in and around your ear. You might notice small flakes of dry skin on your pillow or when you touch your ear. This can indicate that your ear's natural moisture balance has been disrupted.
Resist the urge to scratch inside your ear canal with your finger, cotton buds, or other objects. Scratching can damage the delicate skin, potentially causing small cuts or abrasions that can become infected. It can also push wax deeper into your ear canal, compounding the original problem.
If persistent itching is bothering you, professional assessment can determine whether earwax is the cause and provide appropriate treatment. Sometimes the solution is removing excess wax; other times it's addressing dryness or treating a mild infection.
The Cough That Seems Unrelated
This one really catches people off guard. A persistent cough that has nothing to do with a cold or allergies, but everything to do with your ears. It sounds bizarre, but it's a recognised phenomenon.
Your ear canal contains branches of the vagus nerve, which also supplies your throat and larynx. When earwax stimulates these nerve endings, it can trigger a reflex cough. The cough is usually dry and persistent, and it doesn't respond to cough medicines because it's not coming from your respiratory system.
The cough might worsen when you touch your ear or when you're lying down. Some people find it more noticeable at night, when they're trying to sleep. The connection between the ear and the cough isn't always obvious, which is why this symptom often goes unrecognised.
If you've been coughing persistently without any obvious respiratory cause, and you're also experiencing other symptoms of earwax buildup, the two might be connected. Removing the wax often resolves the cough immediately, providing relief that cough medicines couldn't achieve.
The Discharge That Signals Trouble
Ear discharge isn't a normal consequence of earwax buildup, but it can occur when wax traps moisture or bacteria in your ear canal. The discharge might be clear and watery, or it might be thick, yellow, or even greenish if an infection has developed.
Discharge accompanied by pain, fever, or severe discomfort suggests an infection that needs prompt medical attention. Don't try to treat this yourself with over-the-counter ear drops or home remedies. Professional assessment and appropriate treatment are necessary to prevent the infection from worsening.
Even without infection, discharge can indicate that your ear's natural cleaning system isn't working properly. The moisture that should evaporate or drain naturally is instead becoming trapped, creating an environment where problems can develop.
When Water Gets Trapped
Have you ever had water stuck in your ear after swimming or showering? That uncomfortable, sloshing sensation that makes you hop around on one leg, trying to shake it out? Now imagine that sensation lasting for days or weeks.
When earwax partially blocks your ear canal, water can get trapped behind it. The narrow space between the wax and your ear canal wall holds the water, preventing it from draining out naturally. The trapped water creates a persistent feeling of fullness and may muffle your hearing even more than the wax alone.
Trapped water also increases your risk of developing swimmer's ear, an infection of the outer ear canal. The warm, moist environment created by the trapped water provides ideal conditions for bacterial growth.
If water regularly gets stuck in your ear after bathing or swimming, earwax buildup is a likely cause. Professional wax removal will restore normal drainage, allowing water to flow out naturally as it should.
The Voice That Sounds Wrong
This symptom is subtle but distinctive. When you speak, your own voice sounds different—louder, more resonant, or somehow "off." The medical term for this is autophony, and it occurs when earwax blocks your ear canal.
Normally, when you speak, some of the sound travels through the bones of your skull to reach your inner ear, whilst some travels through the air. When your ear canal is blocked, the balance between these two pathways changes. The bone-conducted sound becomes relatively louder, making your voice sound booming or hollow to you.
The sensation can be quite disconcerting. Some people describe it as feeling like they're talking inside a barrel or like their head is echoing. It can make conversation tiring, as you're constantly distracted by the strange quality of your own voice.
Autophony often accompanies other symptoms like hearing loss or ear fullness. If your voice suddenly sounds different to you, and you're experiencing other ear symptoms, earwax is a likely explanation.
What to Do When You Recognise the Signs
Recognising these symptoms is the first step. The second step is knowing what to do about them. And here's what you shouldn't do: don't reach for cotton buds, bobby pins, or any other implement to try to fix the problem yourself.
Home remedies and over-the-counter ear drops have their place, but they're not appropriate for everyone. If you have a perforated eardrum, ear infection, or previous ear surgery, some treatments can be harmful. Even if you don't have these conditions, improper use of ear drops or irrigation kits can push wax deeper or cause irritation.
Professional ear wax removal offers the safest, most effective solution. Modern techniques like microsuction allow trained practitioners to remove problematic wax under direct vision, with complete control and minimal discomfort. The procedure is quick—usually taking just 10 to 15 minutes—and the relief is immediate.
At Earwax Removal Devon, we see patients every day who've been struggling with these symptoms, often for weeks or months. The transformation when the wax is removed is remarkable. Hearing returns to normal. The fullness disappears. Tinnitus often resolves completely. The relief on people's faces is one of the most rewarding aspects of what we do.
Don't suffer in silence with blocked ears. If you're experiencing any of the symptoms we've discussed, book an appointment with us today. We offer same-day appointments when available, and we'll have you hearing clearly again before you know it. Your ears will thank you for it.
