Ear blocked with wax: Why it happens and what to do

Think of ear wax, or scientifically known as cerumen, as a defense mechanism for our ears to keep out foreign particles. We produce just the adequate amount of ear wax to keep things under control, but sometimes our ears can produce more than required. If your ear is prone to producing more wax than normal, inserting Q-tips or your fingers can lead to the wax being pushed deeper inside your ear canals and may at times cause a blockage.

Scientifically known as "cerumen impaction", this blockage can muffle your hearing and can sometimes even cause temporary hearing loss. So, how do we take care of this?

Let's bust a common myth first: no, we cannot avoid extra ear wax build up with a "good" hygiene routine. We can resort to using ear drops, after they have been prescribed by a doctor, to help the wax drop off on its own.

How can one understand that there is an excess of wax? Symptoms can vary for this. A patient may experience reduced hearing. They may also feel their ear has been "filled up", a sense of dizziness, or ringing in their ears. Cerumen impaction is harmless and can be differentiated from a perforated ear drum since impaction does not hurt and does not discharge liquid from the ear. However, it is recommended to see a doctor first since they can assess the situation properly.

The doctor may use tools like a suction cup or the ear irrigation procedure.

The key here is to avoid inserting objects like Q-tips since it may fill the canals up more or even burst your ear drum.