What is Earwax blockage?
Earwax blockage occurs when earwax (cerumen) accumulates in your ear or becomes too hard to wash away naturally.
What is the function of the earwax?
Earwax is a helpful and natural part of your body's defenses. It cleans, lubricates and protects your ear canal by trapping dirt and slowing the growth of bacteria.
If earwax blockage becomes a problem, you or your doctor can take simple steps to remove the wax safely.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of earwax blockage may include:
- Earache
- Feeling of fullness in the affected ear
- Ringing or noises in the ear (tinnitus)
- Decreased hearing in the affected ear
- Dizziness
- Cough
Causes
The wax in your ears is secreted by glands in the skin that lines the outer half of your ear canals. The wax and tiny hairs in these passages trap dust and other foreign particles that could damage deeper structures, such as your eardrum.
In most people, a small amount of earwax regularly makes its way to the opening of the ear, where it's washed away or falls out as new wax is secreted to replace it. If you secrete an excessive amount of wax or if earwax isn't cleared effectively, it may build up and block your ear canal.
Earwax blockages commonly occur when people try to clean their ears on their own by placing cotton swabs or other items in their ears. This often just pushes wax deeper into the ear, rather than removing it.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/earwax-blockage/symptoms-causes/syc-20353004
