How to Keep Your Ears Healthy

The Most Important Rule: Leave Your Ears Alone

The single most effective thing you can do for your ear health is to stop cleaning the inside of your ears. This sounds counterintuitive, but it's what the NHS, NICE, and every major audiology body recommends. The ear canal is self-cleaning — the skin grows outward from the eardrum, carrying wax with it. Jaw movements during eating and talking assist this process. In most people, wax reaches the outer ear naturally and falls out or is washed away.

Cleaning the inside of the ear canal — with cotton buds, fingers, ear picks, or any other instrument — disrupts this process. It removes wax that was about to exit naturally, pushes deeper wax further in, and risks damaging the delicate canal skin and eardrum. The outer ear — the part you can see — can be wiped gently with a damp cloth. That's genuinely all that's needed.

If you're prone to wax buildup, the right response is to manage it proactively with drops and professional removal — not to clean more aggressively. More cleaning makes the problem worse.

Using Olive Oil Drops Correctly

Olive oil drops are the NHS's recommended first-line treatment for earwax buildup, and they're also an effective preventive measure for people who are prone to impaction. They work by softening wax, making it easier for the ear's self-cleaning mechanism to move it outward.

For treatment of existing buildup: apply two to three drops to the affected ear three to four times daily for five to seven days. Lie on your side with the affected ear facing upward, instil the drops, and remain still for five to ten minutes. Then sit up and let the excess drain onto a tissue. Repeat until symptoms resolve or until your professional removal appointment.

For prevention in people who are susceptible: two to three drops two to three times per week is sufficient to keep wax soft and migrating normally. This is particularly useful for hearing aid wearers and older adults, who are at higher risk of impaction.

Use plain olive oil — the kind you'd use for cooking — or a proprietary olive oil ear drop product. Both work equally well. Sodium bicarbonate 5% drops are an alternative that breaks down wax more actively; they're available over the counter and are useful for harder wax.

Protecting Your Ears from Water

Water trapped in the ear canal creates conditions that favour bacterial growth and can soften wax to the point where it swells and blocks the canal. After swimming or bathing, tilt your head to each side to allow water to drain, and dry the outer ear gently with a towel. Don't use cotton buds to dry the inside of the canal.

If you swim regularly — particularly in open water or pools — well-fitted earplugs can significantly reduce water exposure. Custom-moulded earplugs, available from audiologists, provide a better seal than over-the-counter options and are more comfortable for regular use. Bear in mind that earplugs themselves can contribute to wax buildup if used excessively; if you use them daily, regular ear checks are sensible.

For more on swimmer's ear — the outer ear infection caused by water exposure — our dedicated guide covers prevention and treatment in detail.

Hearing Aids, Earbuds, and In-Ear Devices

Any device that sits in the ear canal interferes with the outward migration of wax. Hearing aid wearers need to be particularly proactive about ear care — the device physically blocks wax migration, and impaction is a leading cause of hearing aid malfunction. Regular use of olive oil drops and professional removal every three to six months is the recommended approach.

In-ear headphones and earbuds have a similar effect. If you use them for extended periods — several hours a day — you're disrupting wax migration and increasing your risk of buildup. Taking regular breaks, using over-ear headphones where possible, and keeping the earbuds themselves clean reduces this risk.

Clean your earbuds and hearing aids regularly. Wax accumulates on the device itself and can be reintroduced into the ear canal if the device isn't maintained. Most hearing aid manufacturers recommend daily cleaning of the device and weekly replacement of wax guards.

Noise Protection

Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent and cumulative. Exposure to sounds above 85 decibels — the level of heavy traffic, a lawnmower, or a busy restaurant — causes damage to the hair cells of the cochlea that doesn't repair itself. The damage accumulates over years, which means the consequences often aren't apparent until later in life.

Use hearing protection in loud environments: concerts, power tools, shooting, industrial workplaces. Foam earplugs provide adequate protection for most situations. For musicians and regular concert-goers, high-fidelity earplugs that reduce volume without distorting sound quality are a better option — they're available from audiologists and specialist retailers.

When using headphones, the World Health Organization recommends keeping the volume below 60% of maximum and taking breaks every hour. The "60/60 rule" — 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time — is a practical guideline for safe headphone use.

When to Have Your Ears Professionally Checked

For most people, professional ear checks are only needed when symptoms develop. But for certain groups, routine checks make sense even without symptoms. Hearing aid wearers should have their ears checked every three to six months. Older adults benefit from an annual check, as wax becomes harder and more difficult to migrate with age. People with a history of frequent impaction, narrow canals, or skin conditions affecting the ear canal should also consider regular checks.

If you're experiencing any symptoms of wax impaction — muffled hearing, tinnitus, fullness, earache — don't wait for them to resolve on their own. Start using olive oil drops and, if symptoms persist after a week, book a professional assessment.