Ear Wax – Can it Cause Hearing Loss?
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing.” Unfortunately, many types of hearing loss are incurable. But fortunately, hearing aids can often help.
But did you know that something as simple as earwax buildup can affect your hearing? And the good news is that earwax can be safely removed.
What is Earwax?
All ears produce earwax – a yellowish, waxy material known as cerumen. It is produced by the sebaceous gland in the ear canal and consists primarily of shed layers of skin. Yuck, right? But it does serve a purpose as it lubricates, cleans, and protects the ear by trapping dirt, repelling water, and keeping insects, fungi, and bacteria from going through the ear canal and damaging or infecting the eardrum. Everyone’s ears produce earwax, but some have more than others.
What is Earwax Buildup?
Typically, the wax (and dust and debris) simply dries up and falls out of the ear. However, sometimes your ear cannot remove all of the earwax it produces, and the earwax builds up, which is called impacted earwax. The Cleveland Clinic reports, “Earwax buildup can happen to anyone. It’s estimated to be present in about 10% of children and 5% of adults who are healthy.”
One of the most common causes of earwax impaction is the use of cotton swabs or other objects inserted in your ear to remove earwax. Unfortunately, this typically only removes superficial wax and pushes the rest of the wax deeper into the ear canal.
Problems can occur if earwax isn’t correctly removed, such as a perforated eardrum, a middle-ear infection, external-ear infection (swimmer’s ear), or permanent hearing loss from acoustic trauma.
Other causes of earwax buildup include the following:
- Some people simply produce too much earwax
- Foreign objects in your ear
- As you get older, earwax tends to become harder and less mobile, making a buildup of earwax more common in older adults
- Bony blockage (osteoma or exostoses)
- Infectious disease, such as swimmer’s ear (external otitis)
- Skin disease (such as eczema)
- Autoimmune disease (such as lupus)
- Narrowed ear canal (from birth, chronic inflammation, or injury)
- Making too much earwax due to injury
Symptoms of earwax blockage include the following:
- Earache
- Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
- Hearing loss
- Dizziness
- Itching in the ear
Removing Earwax Buildup
“Remember, earwax on its own isn’t bad. It’s designed to help keep your ears from getting infected. However, if it builds up, it can cause problems by irritating your ears and preventing you from hearing well,” the Cleveland Clinic cautions. “It’s only safe to clean the outside of the ears and to use drops or water to soften earwax. You should always contact your healthcare provider to remove earwax using an instrument.”
A physician can remove excess earwax by using an instrument called a curet or suction. NEVER try to dig the excess earwax out with a cotton swab, the corner of a napkin, etc. Also, experts do NOT recommend ear candling.
The Mayo Clinic offers the following technique to remove excess earwax only if your eardrum doesn’t contain a tube or has a hole in it:
- Soften the wax. Use an eyedropper to apply a few drops of baby oil, mineral oil, glycerin, or diluted hydrogen peroxide in your ear canal. People should not use ear drops if they have an ear infection unless a doctor recommends it.
- Use warm water. After a day or two, when the wax is softened, use a rubber bulb syringe to gently squirt warm water into your ear canal. Next, tilt your head and pull your outer ear up and back to straighten your ear canal. When finished irrigating, tip your head to the side to let the water drain out.
- Dry your ear canal. When finished, gently dry your outer ear with a towel or hand-held dryer.
You may need to repeat this procedure a few times, and the Mayo Clinic cautions, “The softening agents may only loosen the outer layer of the wax and cause it to lodge deeper in the ear canal or against the eardrum. If your symptoms don’t improve after a few treatments, see your doctor.”
Get a Free Hearing Screening!
Want to determine if you’re experiencing a hearing loss? Precision Hearing Aid Center provides free hearing screening. Give us a call at 610-779-3205 or contact us online.