Understanding ear wax
What is ear wax and why does it build up?
Ear wax protects and cleans your ear canals. Learn what it is made of, why some people produce more than others and when a build-up needs attention.
Glossary
Ear and hearing glossary
The words you might hear from a pharmacist, audiologist or ear wax removal clinician, each explained in a sentence or two, with a link to a fuller guide where we have one.
72 terms, A to Z
Common terms:
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Terms beginning with A
- Audiogram #
- A chart of your hearing test results. It plots the quietest sounds you can hear at different pitches, measured in decibels, for each ear, so a clinician can see the type and degree of any hearing loss.
- Audiologist #
- A healthcare professional who assesses hearing and balance, and fits and adjusts hearing aids. Many audiologists, including hearing aid audiologists on the high street, are also trained to remove ear wax.
- Audiometry #
- Also called pure tone audiometry
- A hearing test in which you listen to tones of different pitches and volumes, usually through headphones, and signal each time you hear one. The results are plotted on an audiogram.
- Aural toilet #
- The medical term for cleaning discharge, debris or wax out of the ear canal, usually by microsuction or gentle dry mopping. It is often part of treating an outer ear infection, so that drops can reach the skin.
- Auricle #
- Also called pinna
- The visible outer part of the ear, made of cartilage covered in skin. It collects sound and channels it into the ear canal.
Terms beginning with B
- Barotrauma #
- Also called ear barotrauma or aeroplane ear
- Discomfort or damage caused by a difference in pressure between the middle ear and the air outside, most often when flying or diving. It causes a blocked feeling, pain and muffled hearing, and usually settles on its own.
- Bulb syringe #
- A small rubber bulb used to rinse the ear with warm water at home after wax has been softened. Ask a pharmacist before trying one, and don't use it if you have a perforated eardrum, grommets or an ear infection.
Terms beginning with C
- Cerumen #
- Also called ear wax or earwax
- The medical name for ear wax. It is made in the outer third of the ear canal from the secretions of the ceruminous and sebaceous glands, mixed with dead skin and hair.
- Cerumenolytic #
- Also called ear wax softener
- Any drop that softens or breaks down ear wax, such as olive oil, sodium bicarbonate or urea hydrogen peroxide. They are used on their own or to prepare the ear for removal.
- Ceruminous glands #
- Modified sweat glands in the skin of the outer ear canal. Their secretions, together with oil from the sebaceous glands, are the basis of ear wax.
- Cholesteatoma #
- An abnormal growth of skin in the middle ear, behind the eardrum. It can cause a smelly discharge and hearing loss, and it needs to be assessed by an ENT specialist, as it is usually treated with surgery.
- Cochlea #
- The snail-shaped, fluid-filled part of the inner ear. Tiny hair cells inside it turn sound vibrations into nerve signals that travel to the brain.
- Community ear care service #
- An NHS service in some areas that assesses ears and removes wax outside the GP surgery, usually by microsuction or irrigation. Whether there is one near you depends on where you live.
- Conductive hearing loss #
- Hearing loss caused by something stopping sound travelling through the outer or middle ear, such as ear wax, fluid behind the eardrum or a perforation. It is often temporary and can usually be treated.
- Cotton buds #
- Also called cotton swabs
- Sticks with cotton wool at each end. Pushed into the ear canal they tend to pack wax deeper and can scratch the skin, which is why the NHS advises against using them in your ears.
- Curette #
- A small instrument with a loop or scoop at the tip, used by clinicians to lift wax out of the ear canal while they look into it.
Terms beginning with D
- Decibel #
- Also called dB
- The unit used to measure how loud a sound is. On an audiogram, a higher number means a sound had to be louder before you could hear it.
- Dry ear wax #
- Grey or pale, flaky wax. Whether you make dry or wet wax is decided mainly by a single gene, ABCC11, and dry wax is far more common in people of East Asian descent.
Terms beginning with E
- Ear canal #
- Also called external auditory canal or external acoustic meatus
- The passage, about 2.5 cm long in adults, that runs from the opening of the ear to the eardrum. The outer part is cartilage lined with wax-making skin; the inner part is bone covered by thin, sensitive skin.
- Ear candling #
- Also called Hopi ear candles or thermo-auricular therapy
- Placing a hollow, lit candle in the ear in the belief that it draws wax out. There is no evidence that it works, it can cause burns and blockages, and the NHS advises against it.
- Ear impression #
- A mould of the ear canal taken with soft silicone, used to make earmoulds, custom hearing aids or hearing protection. NICE guidance lists wax that gets in the way of an impression as a reason to remove it.
- Ear syringing #
- The older way of washing wax out with a large metal syringe worked by hand. NICE advises against manual ear syringing, and it has largely been replaced by electronic irrigation and microsuction.
- Earache #
- Also called otalgia
- Pain in or around the ear. It can come from the ear itself or be felt there from the jaw, teeth or throat. Severe earache, or earache with a high temperature, is a reason to see a GP rather than book wax removal.
- Eardrum #
- Also called tympanic membrane
- A thin, taut membrane at the inner end of the ear canal. It vibrates when sound reaches it and passes the vibrations on to the tiny bones of the middle ear.
- Electronic ear irrigation #
- Also called ear irrigation
- Wax removal with an electronic pump that sends a controlled stream of warm water into the ear canal to flush softened wax out. NICE recommends it, alongside microsuction.
- Endoscope #
- Also called oto-endoscope
- A thin camera on a rigid tube that shows a magnified view of the ear canal on a screen. Some clinicians use one to guide microsuction.
- ENT #
- Also called otolaryngology
- Ear, nose and throat: the hospital specialty that treats ear problems needing more than routine care, such as cholesteatoma, persistent infections or wax that can't be removed in the community.
- Eustachian tube #
- A narrow tube linking the middle ear to the back of the nose. It opens when you swallow or yawn to even out the pressure, which is why your ears pop on a plane.
- Exostoses #
- Also called surfer's ear
- Bony lumps that grow in the ear canal after years of exposure to cold water and wind. They narrow the canal, which can trap wax and water and lead to infections.
Terms beginning with F
- Foreign body #
- Anything in the ear that shouldn't be there, such as a bead, an insect or a piece of cotton wool. Don't try to dig it out yourself: get medical help, for example at an urgent treatment centre.
Terms beginning with G
- Glue ear #
- Also called otitis media with effusion
- A build-up of sticky fluid in the middle ear, behind the eardrum. It is common in young children, causes muffled hearing and usually clears up on its own within about 3 months.
- Grommets #
- Also called ventilation tubes
- Tiny tubes placed in the eardrum during a short operation to let air into the middle ear, usually to treat glue ear. Ear irrigation isn't used on an ear with grommets.
Terms beginning with H
- HCPC #
- The Health and Care Professions Council, the UK regulator for a range of health professions including hearing aid dispensers. You can check whether a professional is registered on its online register.
- Hearing aid wax guard #
- Also called wax filter or wax trap
- A small, replaceable filter on a hearing aid's receiver or earmould that stops wax getting inside. A blocked guard can make the aid sound weak or stop working, and it is often the first sign of a build-up.
- Hyperacusis #
- Reduced tolerance of everyday sounds, which seem uncomfortably loud. It is different from the brief sharpness many people notice just after wax removal, which settles within a day or so.
Terms beginning with I
- Impacted ear wax #
- Also called cerumen impaction
- Wax that has packed tightly into the ear canal, so it no longer clears on its own and causes symptoms or hides the eardrum. It usually needs softening drops, removal by a clinician, or both.
- Inner ear #
- The deepest part of the ear, set in the bone of the skull. It holds the cochlea for hearing and the vestibular system for balance.
Terms beginning with J
- Jobson Horne probe #
- A slim metal instrument with a small ring curette at one end and a roughened tip at the other, which can be wrapped in cotton wool. Clinicians use it to hook out wax or clean the ear canal.
Terms beginning with K
- Keratosis obturans #
- A rare condition in which a dense plug of dead skin (keratin) builds up in the ear canal, often with pain and hearing loss. It can look like impacted wax but needs ENT care.
Terms beginning with L
- Labyrinthitis #
- Inflammation of the inner ear, usually after a viral infection. It causes dizziness or vertigo and sometimes hearing loss, and it often gets better within a few weeks.
- Loupes #
- Magnifying glasses worn like spectacles, often with a light attached. Many clinicians wear them to see into the ear during microsuction.
Terms beginning with M
- Ménière's disease #
- A long-term condition of the inner ear that causes attacks of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss and a feeling of pressure in the ear. It needs to be assessed by a GP or a specialist.
- Microsuction #
- Wax removal with a fine suction tube while the clinician looks into the ear through magnification, such as loupes, an operating microscope or an endoscope. No water goes into the ear.
- Middle ear #
- The air-filled space behind the eardrum. It contains the ossicles, which pass sound to the inner ear, and connects to the back of the nose through the Eustachian tube.
- Mimikaki #
- A traditional Japanese way of cleaning the ears with a fine pick or scoop. In the UK some clinics offer it as a form of manual wax removal.
Terms beginning with N
- NHS 111 #
- The NHS phone and online service for urgent medical problems that are not a 999 emergency. Use it if you have severe ear pain, sudden hearing loss or other worrying symptoms and can't get hold of your GP.
- NICE #
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which publishes guidance for the NHS in England. Its guideline on hearing loss in adults (NG98, 2018) covers when and how ear wax should be removed.
Terms beginning with O
- Olive oil drops #
- Also called almond oil drops
- Medical grade olive or almond oil used to soften ear wax. The NHS suggests 2 to 3 drops, 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days, but not if your eardrum may be perforated.
- Operating microscope #
- Also called otomicroscope
- A mounted microscope with its own light that gives a magnified, three-dimensional view of the ear. ENT departments and some clinics use one for microsuction.
- Ossicles #
- The three tiny bones of the middle ear, called the malleus, incus and stapes. They carry vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
- Otitis externa #
- Also called outer ear infection or swimmer's ear
- Inflammation or infection of the skin of the ear canal. The ear is usually sore and itchy and may leak a discharge, and treatment is usually with ear drops from a pharmacist or GP.
- Otitis media #
- Also called middle ear infection
- An infection of the middle ear, especially common in young children. It causes earache, a high temperature and muffled hearing, and often clears up on its own within a few days.
- Otorrhoea #
- Also called ear discharge
- Fluid, pus or blood coming out of the ear. It points to an infection or a perforated eardrum rather than wax, so get it checked by a GP.
- Otoscope #
- Also called auriscope
- A hand-held light with a magnifying lens and a cone-shaped tip, used to look into the ear canal and at the eardrum.
- Otoscopy #
- Examining the ear canal and eardrum with an otoscope. A clinician does it at the start of a wax removal appointment, and again at the end.
- Ototoxic #
- Describes a medicine or chemical that can damage the inner ear, causing hearing loss, tinnitus or balance problems. Some antibiotics and cancer drugs are examples.
- Outer ear #
- Also called external ear
- The auricle and the ear canal, up to the eardrum. It is where ear wax is made and where most wax problems happen.
Terms beginning with P
- Perforated eardrum #
- Also called ruptured eardrum
- A hole or tear in the eardrum, caused by an infection, an injury, a sudden change in pressure or something pushed into the ear. Most heal on their own within a couple of months. Avoid oil drops and irrigation unless a clinician says otherwise.
- Pinna
- See Auricle
- Presbycusis #
- Also called age-related hearing loss
- Gradual hearing loss that comes with age, usually in both ears and affecting high-pitched sounds first. It is a type of sensorineural hearing loss and is managed with hearing aids.
Terms beginning with R
- Rinne test
- See Tuning fork tests
Terms beginning with S
- Sebaceous glands #
- Oil glands in the skin, usually beside hairs. In the outer ear canal their oily secretions mix with those of the ceruminous glands to form ear wax.
- Sensorineural hearing loss #
- Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea or the hearing nerve, often from ageing or noise. It is usually permanent and is managed with hearing aids rather than wax removal.
- Sodium bicarbonate drops #
- Pharmacy ear drops that soften and help break down wax. They can occasionally irritate the skin of the ear canal, so stop using them if your ear gets sore.
- Sudden hearing loss #
- Also called sudden sensorineural hearing loss
- Hearing loss that comes on over a few hours or days, usually in one ear, without an obvious cause such as wax. It needs urgent medical attention, because treatment works best when it starts early.
- Surfer's ear
- See Exostoses
- Swimmer's ear
- See Otitis externa
Terms beginning with T
- Tinnitus #
- Hearing sounds such as ringing, buzzing or humming that don't come from outside. Wax can bring it on, but it has many other causes, and tinnitus that lasts should be checked by a GP.
- Tragus #
- The small flap of cartilage at the front of the ear opening. Pressing it gently a few times helps ear drops run down into the canal.
- Tuning fork tests #
- Also called Rinne and Weber tests
- Quick checks in which a clinician holds a vibrating tuning fork near your ear or against your head. They help tell conductive hearing loss apart from sensorineural hearing loss.
- Tympanic membrane
- See Eardrum
- Tympanometry #
- A test that gently changes the air pressure in the ear canal and measures how the eardrum moves. It helps show fluid behind the eardrum, such as glue ear, or a problem with the Eustachian tube.
Terms beginning with U
- Urea hydrogen peroxide #
- Also called carbamide peroxide
- An ingredient in some pharmacy ear drops. It releases oxygen when it meets wax, which makes the drops fizz and helps break the wax up.
Terms beginning with V
- Vertigo #
- A spinning feeling, as if you or the room are moving. It usually comes from the inner ear or the balance nerve, and sudden or severe vertigo needs medical advice.
- Vestibular system #
- The balance organs of the inner ear, which sense the movement and position of your head.
- Video otoscopy #
- Examining the ear with an otoscope that has a camera, so the view appears on a screen. Some clinics use it to show you your ear canal before and after wax removal.
Terms beginning with W
- Wax guard
- See Hearing aid wax guard
- Wet ear wax #
- Sticky wax that ranges from honey-coloured to dark brown. It is the more common type in people of European and African descent.
Keep reading
Put the words in context
Our guides use these terms in plain English, with the NHS and NICE advice behind them.
Removal and appointments
Microsuction vs ear irrigation: which is better?
A side-by-side look at microsuction and ear irrigation: how each works, comfort, suitability, preparation and which one clinicians choose when.
Symptoms and related problems
Can ear wax cause hearing loss?
Ear wax is one of the most common causes of muffled hearing, and one of the easiest to fix. How much difference it makes and when to test further.
Book in minutes
Blocked ears? Find a clinic near you
Search by town or postcode, compare the clinics near you and request an appointment online.