Most people deal with earwax buildup at some point, and most of the time the body takes care of it on its own. But when it doesn’t — when the wax accumulates enough to block the ear canal and obstruct your hearing — it becomes something worth getting checked out.
Oxford Urgent Care is open seven days a week on University Avenue, and earwax removal is one of the more straightforward concerns we handle on a walk-in basis. If your ear has been feeling full or your hearing seems off, here’s what you should know before coming in.
What happens when earwax builds up
Your ears are made to clean themselves. The skin inside the ear canal grows outward slowly, carrying wax with it toward the outer ear, where it dries and falls away. For many people, this process works with no additional intervention at all.
Others experience denser or stickier earwax, or their ear canals have a shape that hinders natural clearing. People who use hearing aids or earbuds frequently also experience more buildup, since the devices can slow that outward migration.
A few other factors make buildup more likely, such as:
- Ears that are naturally constricted or bent
- Cotton swabs, which can push earwax further in instead of removing it
- Older age, since wax becomes drier and harder to move over time
Understanding what caused the buildup can also help prevent it from coming back after treatment.
Symptoms of earwax blockage
The most obvious sign of a wax blockage is a change in your hearing. You might notice that sounds seem muffled or distant, or that one ear feels like it has something in it. Some people liken it to listening underwater, where all sounds seem muted.
Beyond hearing changes, a buildup can cause a sensation of fullness or pressure in the ear. You might also notice some ringing, known as tinnitus, or mild discomfort in the ear canal itself. According to the Mayo Clinic, a slight cough is also possible sometimes, since the ear canal shares nerve connections with the throat.
These symptoms can evolve, which is part of why people don’t always connect them to wax buildup right away. They also overlap with symptoms of an ear infection or fluid behind the eardrum, so getting an actual look inside the ear is the only reliable way to know what you’re dealing with.
Why cotton swabs make things worse
Although manufacturers often market cotton swabs for ear cleaning, they don’t necessarily intend for people to insert them into the ear canal. The canal looks wider and stronger than it is; inserting a swab may press wax against the eardrum instead of removing it.
Ear candles, a popular home remedy, carry their own risks. The Cleveland Clinic has warned heavily against their use, citing cases of burns and even punctured eardrums.
Over-the-counter drops that soften wax can help with mild buildup, but they don’t always move the needle when a blockage is more significant. Should your ear still feel obstructed after trying any of these, it’s worth coming in so we can get a clear look at what’s going on.
How we evaluate and treat earwax at Oxford Urgent Care
The first step in our assessment involves using an otoscope to view the ear canal. That first look tells us whether wax is present, how significant the buildup is and whether the eardrum looks normal behind it. It also helps us rule out an infection before we do anything else.
Usually, we can resolve earwax problems during your visit. The most common approach is irrigation, which uses a gentle stream of warm water to loosen and flush the wax out of the canal. For harder or more compacted buildup, we might use a softening solution first.
Expect our team to ask about your symptoms, covering their onset and any at-home treatments you’ve used. That history helps make sure we’re not overlooking anything else alongside the wax.
If the exam uncovers anything that needs a separate follow-up, we’ll explain what we found and point you in the right direction.
Come see us at Oxford Urgent Care
Earwax buildup is one of the more common things we see, and it’s also one of the more satisfying problems to fix; most patients leave hearing noticeably better than when they walked in. If that sounds like what you need, come see us.
You can find us on University Avenue at Hwy. 7, right across from Subway. We’re open every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with no appointment needed, and we accept most major insurance plans.
Walk in to get care today.