Earwax build-up

Earwax normally just falls out on its own. When it's blocking your ears, a pharmacist can help.

Symptoms of earwax build-up

Symptoms of earwax build-up include:

• hearing loss
• earache or a feeling that your ears are blocked
• ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus)
• vertigo (feeling dizzy and sick)

How you can treat earwax build-up yourself

Earwax usually falls out on its own. If it does not, and builds up and blocks your ear, you can try to remove it.

To remove earwax build-up:

1. Lie on your side with the affected ear facing up.
2. Put 2 to 3 drops of olive or almond oil in your ear – do not use almond oil if you're allergic to almonds.
3. Continue to lie on your side for 5 to 10 minutes after putting in the oil.
4. Repeat 3 to 4 times a day, for 3 to 5 days.

Over about 2 weeks, lumps of earwax should fall out of your ear and your symptoms should improve.

There's no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums get rid of earwax.

A pharmacist can help with earwax build-up

Speak to a pharmacist about earwax build-up. They can give advice and suggest treatments.

They might recommend medicines to dissolve the earwax. The earwax should fall out on its own or dissolve after about a week.

Do not use drops if you have a hole in your eardrum (a perforated eardrum).

GP surgery treatment to remove earwax

Not all GP surgeries remove earwax build-up.

Some can:

• flush the wax out with water (electronic ear irrigation)
• suck the wax out (microsuction)
• scrape the wax out using a very small device

These treatments are usually painless.

If your GP surgery does not treat earwax build-up, a doctor might be able to refer you to another local NHS service for treatment. Or you might have to pay to have the treatment done privately.

Causes of earwax build-up

A build-up of earwax can happen if you have:

• narrow or damaged ear canals
• lots of hair in your ear canals
• a skin condition affecting your scalp or around your ear
• inflammation of your ear canal (otitis externa or "swimmer's ear")

Preventing earwax build-up

You cannot prevent earwax. It's there to protect your ears from dirt and germs.

But regularly using eardrops, or olive or almond oil, will help soften earwax build-up. This will help it fall out on its own and should stop your ears getting blocked.