Dr Phil Kieran: Ear wax is affecting my teenager's hearing

"Ear wax can cause problems for a number of reasons, but, first, let’s examine what it is." Pic: iStock

My 15-year-old son’s ear wax build-up affects his hearing. I use a wax-softening product from the pharmacy to break it up. Is there anything else I can do?

Ear wax can cause problems for a number of reasons, but, first, let’s examine what it is.

Wax is produced in the ear canal to trap dirt and dust and protect the sensitive ear drum deeper inside. 

The skin in the ear canal has tiny hairs that point outwards and help move the wax to the outside of the ear, where it is supposed to flake away in tiny (ideally, not noticeable) pieces.

When the wax is not being moved out smoothly, it can build up and block the ear canal. This blockage can lead to pain and reduced hearing, which can be tricky to fix. 

The cause can be genetic, as some people have a gene that produces harder wax, so the ear can’t clear it as quickly. If this is the case, the wax tends to be darker.

Many over-the-counter products are available to soften ear wax, but regular olive oil is as effective as almost all pharmaceutical treatments. Just two to three drops in each ear is all that’s needed. Repeat three to four times a day for three to five days.

While genetics can play a role, ear wax issues are usually due to what we put in our ears rather than anything else. Wax is produced in the outer third of the ear canal, and the skin here is designed to deal with it. If the wax gets pushed beyond this point or is blocked from coming out, that’s where we run into problems.

In-ear headphones can cause problems if worn for extended periods of time. People who wear them for work as hearing protection often come into my clinic with wax problems, because the earbuds prevent the wax from moving out of the ear naturally.

Many adolescents spend a good chunk of time listening to music, which also causes a lot of wax impaction.

The other common cause of wax problems is using cotton buds in the ear. People do this because they feel cleaning their ears is healthy. A very old phrase is apt in this setting: ‘You should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.’ If people lived by this saying, there would be far fewer ear problems.

In your son’s case, try to look at reasons the wax may be blocked. If there is no behavioural cause for it, then using something like olive oil or other ear drops, even once or twice a week, may be necessary to keep the wax under control.

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