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Earwax blockage

Cerumen obturans · Ušní maz (zátka)

What it is

Wax cleans itself out, but narrow canals, hearing aids and cotton buds pack it into a plug.

Symptoms & signs

  • Muffled hearing
  • fullness in the ear
  • itching
  • tinnitus
  • dizziness or cough (vagus reflex)

🚩 Get help if…

  • see a doctor soon Ear pain, discharge or fever
  • see a doctor soon Sudden hearing loss in one ear
  • see a doctor soon Dizziness or ringing that does not go away
  • see a doctor soon Blocked ear not cleared after 5 days of ear drops

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Olive oil or sodium bicarbonate drops for 1–2 weeks
  • ear irrigation or microsuction
  • no irrigation with a perforated eardrum

Natural & lifestyle

  • No cotton buds
  • a few drops of olive oil weekly if prone to plugs
  • dry the ears after swimming

Emerging & experimental

  • Home otoscopes with cleaning tools (safety unproven)
  • wax-dissolving enzyme drops

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Ear candling — tested: no suction, no wax removed, and it burns ears and eardrums not confirmed in trials
  • Hydrogen peroxide drops — Cochrane found drops help, but none clearly beats water or oil mixed evidence

ICD codes