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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Partly. A doctor can assess a blocked ear by video and plan softening drops; if drops do not clear it, removal by microsuction or irrigation is done in person.
- What it is: earwax is normal. It protects the ear canal and usually moves out on its own, and it only needs treating when it builds up and blocks the ear.
- Self-care: a few drops of olive or almond oil, used regularly for several days, soften the wax so that it comes out by itself over about 2 weeks.
- Avoid: cotton buds, fingers, ear candles and ear vacuums. Cotton buds push wax deeper, and there is no evidence that candles or vacuums remove wax.
- Emergency: hearing that drops suddenly is not wax until a doctor says so. Call 112 if it comes with facial drooping, weakness in an arm or leg, slurred speech or severe spinning dizziness.
Do not book a video appointment if your hearing dropped suddenly together with facial drooping, weakness, slurred speech or severe spinning dizziness, or if you have bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injury: call 112 or go to an emergency department. Sudden hearing loss on its own also needs urgent assessment rather than wax drops: get medical advice the same day.
Can an online doctor treat earwax build-up?
Partly. A doctor can go through your symptoms by video, judge whether wax is the likely cause, check for the signs that need urgent care, and plan softening drops, which clear many blockages. A video call cannot see inside the ear canal, so the doctor cannot confirm the wax or take it out: if drops have not worked after 5 days, or your ear is badly blocked and you cannot hear, removal by microsuction or irrigation is done in person, and the doctor tells you where to go.
How an online consultation helps with earwax
- Wax, or something else?: A blocked ear can also be fluid after a cold, an infection, a hole in the eardrum or sudden hearing loss, which cannot wait for drops.
- The right drops, used safely: Which softening drops to use, how to put them in, and when drops are not safe, such as with a hole in the eardrum.
- Removal when you need it: When microsuction or irrigation makes sense, which of the two suits you, and what to tell the clinic.
- Fewer blockages: Why cotton buds make it worse, and how hearing aid and earplug users can keep wax under control.
What the doctor checks in an online earwax consultation
The doctor asks about the warning signs first, because a sudden loss of hearing can feel exactly like a blocked ear. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: hearing that dropped suddenly, spinning dizziness, facial weakness, a recent head injury, or severe pain.
- How it started: gradually over days or weeks, or suddenly, and whether it followed a cold, a flight, swimming or cotton bud use.
- Your ear now: muffled hearing, a blocked feeling, itching, earache, ringing, and any discharge or smell.
- Your ear history: a hole in the eardrum, grommets, ear surgery, eczema in the ear canal, and earlier wax removal.
- Your health: diabetes, a weakened immune system, nut allergy, hearing aids or earplugs, and the drops you have tried.
Before the call, note which ear is affected, when it started and what you have already used. If someone can help, a photo of the outer ear in daylight is useful, although no camera can show the eardrum.
What is earwax, and why does it build up?
Earwax, or cerumen, is made by glands in the outer third of the ear canal. It protects the ear: it traps dust, germs and small objects, keeps the skin of the canal moist, protects it from water, and has antibacterial properties. Without it, ears can become dry and itchy.
The ear canal cleans itself. Wax moves slowly from the eardrum towards the opening, helped by chewing and other jaw movement, then dries, flakes and falls out. Problems start when more wax is made than can leave, or when something stops it moving, and it hardens into a plug.
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| More likely if you | Why |
|---|---|
| Use cotton buds, hairpins or fingers in your ears | They push wax deeper, where it packs against the eardrum |
| Wear hearing aids or earplugs | They push wax back in and stop it leaving the canal |
| Are 60 or older | Wax becomes harder with age |
| Have narrow or damaged ear canals, or a lot of hair in them | Wax cannot move out as easily |
| Have a skin condition of the scalp or around the ear | A recognised cause of build-up |
| Have inflammation of the ear canal (otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear) | A recognised cause of build-up |
| Simply make more wax than others | Some people’s glands produce more than can easily leave |
What are the symptoms of earwax build-up?
The usual symptoms are muffled hearing and a blocked feeling in one ear. Wax build-up can also cause:
- earache or a feeling of fullness
- ringing or buzzing in the ear (tinnitus)
- itching in the ear
- dizziness, or a spinning feeling with feeling sick (vertigo)
- a smell or discharge, or an ear infection
- coughing
Wax is one of the most common causes of hearing loss, and the hearing usually comes back fully once the blockage is cleared. Wax that causes no symptoms does not need removing, and a blockage without symptoms can clear on its own.
Is it earwax, or something else?
The symptoms of a wax plug overlap with other ear problems, and only an examination of the ear can confirm wax. The way it started is the best clue:
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| What it could be | What points to it | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Earwax build-up | Muffling that builds up over days or weeks, often in one ear, sometimes itchy; after cotton bud, hearing aid or earplug use | This page |
| Pressure after a cold or a flight | Fullness, pressure and muffled hearing that started with a cold, an allergy or a flight | Eustachian tube dysfunction Ear barotrauma |
| Ear infection | Earache, a high temperature, often during or after a cold | Ear infection |
| Swimmer’s ear | An itchy, painful ear canal that hurts more when the ear is touched | Swimmer’s ear |
| Perforated eardrum | Sudden hearing loss after an infection, a blow or a loud bang, sometimes with fluid or blood | Perforated eardrum |
| Sudden hearing loss | Hearing that drops all at once or over a few days, sometimes noticed on waking | Hearing loss: needs urgent assessment |
The blocked ear guide covers every cause of a blocked ear and how to unblock it.
How do you remove earwax at home?
Softening drops are the safe way to start. Most blockages clear with oil drops over a couple of weeks, and nothing needs to go into the ear except the drops. This is the method the NHS and the HSE describe; the pharmacist or the doctor can tell you how many drops to use and how often:
- Lie on your side with the blocked ear facing up.
- Put a few drops of olive oil or almond oil into the ear. Do not use almond oil if you are allergic to nuts.
- Stay on your side for a few minutes, so the oil can soak in.
- Repeat several times a day for several days, as advised.
- Over about 2 weeks, small lumps of wax should come out by themselves, and your hearing should improve.
Do not use drops of any kind if you have, or might have, a hole in your eardrum, or if you have had ear surgery: ask a doctor first. Stop and get advice if the drops cause pain, or if you get discharge or a high temperature.
Which ear drops are best for earwax?
No type of drop has been shown to work better than another. A Cochrane review of 10 studies with 623 people found that drops may help compared with doing nothing: in one study, 22% of ears were completely clear after 5 days of drops, against 5% with no treatment. Oil-based drops, water-based drops such as sodium bicarbonate, and peroxide-based drops such as urea hydrogen peroxide all performed about the same, and even plain water or salt water did about as well. Side effects such as slight irritation, pain or a bad smell were uncommon. A pharmacist can suggest drops that soften or dissolve wax, which should clear it within about a week.
Can you massage or scoop earwax out?
Do not scoop, dig or twist anything inside the ear. The ear canal narrows partway along, so wax pushed in by a cotton bud, a hairpin or a fingertip gets stuck at the narrowest point, and objects can scratch the canal or damage the eardrum. Jaw movement, such as chewing, is what moves wax out naturally, and the drops simply make that easier. Clean only the outer ear, with a cloth or a tissue over your finger.
Do ear candles, ear vacuums or home irrigation kits work?
There is no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums remove earwax. Home irrigation kits with a bulb syringe exist, but ask a doctor before using one: the water must be at body temperature, because cooler water can cause brief but severe dizziness, and irrigation is not safe for everyone. Never use a water-jet device made for cleaning teeth.
Microsuction, irrigation and other ways to remove earwax
If drops have not worked after 5 days, or your ear is so blocked that you cannot hear, the wax needs removing by a trained professional. All three professional methods are usually painless:
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| Method | How it works | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Softening drops | Oil, sodium bicarbonate or peroxide-based drops soften the wax so it comes out by itself | First step for most people; not with a hole in the eardrum |
| Ear irrigation | A machine flushes the canal with a controlled stream of body-temperature water | Not for people with a hole in the eardrum, grommets, recent ear surgery, eczema in the canal, diabetes or a weakened immune system |
| Microsuction | A clinician looks into the ear through a microscope and removes the wax with a fine suction tube | Suits people who should not have irrigation |
| Manual removal | Small instruments, such as a curette, lift the wax out under direct view | Used when other methods have failed, or alongside microsuction |
| Ear candles and ear vacuums | Claimed to draw wax out | No evidence that they work |
Some people should not have irrigation at all: anyone with a hole in the eardrum, a grommet, recent ear surgery, eczema or another skin problem in the ear canal, diabetes, or a weakened immune system. For them, removal under a microscope is the safer choice. Complications are rare, but removal can occasionally cause an ear canal infection or damage the eardrum, which is one more reason it belongs with a trained professional.
Can you still get your ears syringed?
Ear syringing now usually means electronic ear irrigation, where a machine flushes the canal with a controlled stream of water, or microsuction. Earwax removal is offered by some family doctors and practice nurses, by ENT clinics, and privately. In the UK, not every GP surgery removes earwax, and some people are referred to another service or pay for private removal.
Will deep earwax come out on its own?
Often, yes. Wax that is deep in the canal can still soften and work its way out over a couple of weeks of drops. Wax that has been packed against the eardrum, usually by cotton buds, is the kind most likely to need removing by a professional.
Which earwax treatment might the doctor recommend?
The plan depends on how the blockage started, how blocked the ear is, and whether anything rules out drops or irrigation. This is the framework the doctors use:
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| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gradual muffling in one ear, no pain, no other symptoms | Oil or other softening drops for several days | Yes | If it has not cleared after 5 days |
| An ear so blocked that you cannot hear | Drops while you arrange removal | Partly | For microsuction or irrigation, as an infection can develop if it does not clear |
| Wax with a hole in the eardrum, grommets or past ear surgery | No drops until a doctor has checked | Partly | For removal under a microscope |
| Wax with diabetes or a weakened immune system | Drops, avoiding irrigation | Partly | For microsuction rather than irrigation |
| Hearing aid user with repeated blockages | Regular drops and routine checks | Yes | For removal when the canal blocks |
| Blocked ear with pain, discharge or a high temperature | Assessment for an infection | Yes, to assess | If the canal needs cleaning or the eardrum needs to be seen |
| Hearing that dropped suddenly | Urgent assessment, not drops | Only to assess | Urgently: get medical advice the same day |
Not sure whether your blocked ear is wax? A doctor can tell you in one consultation what to try first.
See available times →Treatment options for earwax build-up
What you can do yourself
- Use olive or almond oil drops several times a day for several days, lying on your side for a few minutes each time.
- Ask a pharmacist about drops that soften or dissolve wax if oil does not suit you.
- Leave your ears alone between drops: no cotton buds, fingers or hairpins.
- Clean only the outer ear, with a cloth or a tissue over your finger.
- If you wear hearing aids, keep them clean and have your ear canals checked for wax regularly.
- If you get repeated blockages, using oil drops regularly can soften wax so that it falls out on its own.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. Most earwax clears with drops that do not need a prescription, and no tablet removes wax. If the ear canal is also infected or inflamed, the doctor may prescribe drops that treat the infection, after checking that your eardrum is likely to be intact. If drops do not clear the wax, the doctor recommends removal in person and tells you which method suits you. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Cotton buds, which push wax deeper and are a common cause of plugs. Ear candles and ear vacuums, which have no evidence behind them. Cleaning your ears too often or too hard, which removes protective wax and leaves the canal dry and itchy. Drops in an ear that might have a hole in the eardrum.
Special situations
Hearing aids and earplugs
Hearing aids and earplugs push wax back into the canal and stop it leaving, so blockages are more common. Hearing aid users are often advised to have their ear canals checked for wax every 3 to 6 months. The hearing loss page covers hearing tests and hearing aids.
Older age
Wax becomes harder from around the age of 60, and blockages become more common. Because hearing usually comes back once wax is cleared, it is worth ruling out wax before putting muffled hearing down to age.
A hole in the eardrum, grommets or ear surgery
Do not use drops or irrigation. Water or drops can get through a hole into the middle ear and cause pain or infection. Removal under a microscope is the safe option. The perforated eardrum page explains how a hole heals.
Diabetes or a weakened immune system
Irrigation is avoided, and wax is removed under a microscope instead. Ear pain, discharge or a high temperature with a blocked ear needs a doctor promptly.
Earwax while travelling in Europe
Softening drops are sold in pharmacies, and a pharmacist can advise. If your ear blocks badly or becomes painful on holiday, see a doctor rather than trying to clear it yourself. Ears that block during or after a flight are covered on the ear barotrauma page.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When earwax build-up is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: a blocked or muffled ear that sounds like wax, advice on softening drops and how to use them, deciding which removal method suits you, and plans to prevent repeated blockages.
In-person care: removal by microsuction, irrigation or instruments, any ear that needs examining, wax with a hole in the eardrum or after ear surgery, and any sudden loss of hearing.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- sudden hearing loss with facial drooping, weakness in an arm or leg, or slurred speech
- sudden hearing loss with severe spinning dizziness and being sick
- bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injury
- ear pain with a stiff neck, a high temperature and confusion
Get medical advice the same day for:
- sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, even without pain
- hearing that has got worse over the last few days
- hearing loss with earache or discharge from the ear
- severe ear pain, or swelling or redness behind the ear
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your ear: say which ear is blocked, whether it came on gradually or suddenly, and what you have already tried, including drops or cotton buds.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s earwax? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Blocked ear can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about earwax
How do I remove ear wax at home?
Lie on your side with the blocked ear up, put in a few drops of olive or almond oil, and stay there for a few minutes. Repeat several times a day for several days. The wax should come out by itself over about 2 weeks. Do not use cotton buds or put anything else in the ear.
How can I clear an ear wax blockage fast?
There is no safe instant fix. Softening drops work over a few days, and a pharmacist can suggest drops that dissolve wax within about a week. If your ear is so blocked that you cannot hear, removal by microsuction or irrigation is the quickest safe option.
Which ear drops are best for ear wax?
No type of ear wax drop has been shown to work better than another. Olive or almond oil, sodium bicarbonate drops and peroxide-based drops all perform about the same in studies, and plain water or salt water does about as well. Do not use any drops if you might have a hole in your eardrum.
Will deep ear wax come out on its own?
Often, yes. Wax moves out naturally with jaw movement, and drops soften it so it can leave. Wax packed against the eardrum by cotton buds is the kind most likely to need removing by a professional.
Can I still get my ears syringed?
Ear syringing now usually means electronic irrigation, where a machine flushes the canal with water, or microsuction, and both are usually painless. Some family doctors and practice nurses remove earwax, and ENT clinics and private clinics do too.
Is microsuction better than irrigation?
Both remove ear wax and are usually painless and effective. Microsuction is the safer choice if you have a hole in the eardrum, a grommet, recent ear surgery, eczema in the ear canal, diabetes or a weakened immune system, because irrigation is avoided in those situations.
Can ear wax cause tinnitus or dizziness?
Yes. Earwax build-up can cause ringing or buzzing in the ear, and dizziness or a spinning feeling, as well as muffled hearing and earache. These usually settle once the wax is cleared. Tinnitus or dizziness with sudden hearing loss needs urgent assessment.
Is it ear wax or something else?
Ear wax usually builds up gradually in one ear, with muffled hearing, a blocked feeling and sometimes itching, and it clears with drops. A blocked ear after a cold or a flight that pops when you swallow points to the Eustachian tube; pain, discharge or a high temperature suggest an infection; and hearing that drops suddenly, with or without ringing or dizziness, is not wax until a doctor has looked, because sudden hearing loss needs urgent treatment.
What causes ear wax build-up?
Making more wax than can leave the ear, narrow or hairy ear canals, skin conditions around the ear, and older age, when wax hardens. Cotton buds, hearing aids and earplugs push wax back in and are common causes of blockages.
Do ear candles work?
No. There is no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums remove earwax. Softening drops, and removal by a trained professional when drops fail, are the methods that work.
Should I clean my ears with cotton buds?
No. Ear canals clean themselves, and cotton buds push wax deeper, where it packs against the eardrum. Clean only the outer ear with a cloth or tissue.
How can I prevent ear wax build-up?
Leave your ears alone: never use cotton buds, fingers, ear candles or vacuums, because they pack wax against the eardrum. If you make a lot of wax or wear hearing aids or earplugs, a few drops of olive or almond oil once or twice a week keep it soft so it can leave by itself, and hearing aid users are often advised to have the canals checked every 3 to 6 months. Clean only the outer ear with a cloth.
How often should ears be checked for wax?
Most people never need wax removed from their ears. Hearing aid users, and people who get repeated blockages, are often advised to have their ear canals checked every 3 to 6 months.
Can an online doctor help with ear wax?
Partly. A doctor can assess a blocked ear by video, check the warning signs, and plan softening drops for ear wax. Removal by microsuction or irrigation, and any examination of the ear, are done in person.
- Earwax build-up, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 5 January 2024.
- Earwax build-up, HSE, Health Service Executive (Ireland), reviewed 16 April 2026.
- Ear drops for the removal of ear wax, Aaron K, Cooper TE, Warner L, Burton MJ. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018.
- Earwax, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 29 April 2026.
- Earwax (cerumen impaction), ENT Health, American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, reviewed August 2018.
- Earwax blockage: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic (US), 2025.
- Hearing loss, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 30 May 2025.
- Perforated eardrum, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 19 April 2023.
- Sudden deafness, NIDCD, US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, updated September 2018.
- Ear infections, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 16 January 2025.
- Ear barotrauma, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 29 April 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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