Earwax is a normal and healthy part of your ears. It helps protect the ear canal from dust, debris, and irritation. However, when too much earwax builds up, it can cause problems (especially for those who wear hearing aids).
A buildup of earwax can temporarily reduce your hearing by blocking sound from traveling through the ear canal. You may notice that sounds seem muffled, your ears feel plugged, or one ear seems worse than the other.
For hearing aid wearers, excessive earwax can also affect how your devices perform. You may notice feedback or whistling, reduced volume, distorted sound, or that your hearing aids don’t seem to be working as well as they normally do. Sometimes, what appears to be a problem with the hearing aid is actually a problem with the ear canal.
Whatever you do, do NOT use cotton swabs/Q-tips to clean your ears. This can actually push wax farther into the ear canal rather than remove it. They can also irritate the delicate skin of the ear or, if inserted too deep, potentially injure your eardrum.
Your ears are generally very good at cleaning themselves. Wax naturally moves toward the outer part of the ear, where it can be gently wiped away.
We have been asked about ear candling as well. This is not a safe or proven way to remove earwax. It can potentially cause burns, block the ear canal with candle wax, or injure the ear. If you think you have excessive wax, it’s better to have your ears examined by a healthcare professional.
If your hearing suddenly seems worse, your hearing aids are whistling more than usual, or your ears feel plugged, don’t automatically assume your hearing aids need to be replaced or repaired. An earwax buildup could be part of the problem.
Here at Gardner Audiology during each appointment, we are checking your ears to make sure everything is clear and healthy. It’s also important to keep up with scheduling your routine hearing aid service visits, so wax does not accumulate and cause issues. Call us at 800-277-1182 to schedule an appointment today; we have 8 locations across the Tampa Bay area.
