Signs of a wax blockage
- A plugged or full feeling in the ear
- Muffled hearing
- Ringing in the ear
What is safe to try
- Soften the wax with a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil, glycerin or ear drops from the store.
- Ask a doctor before you rinse your ear at home. If rinsing is OK for you, use water at body temperature. Cooler water can make you very dizzy for a short time.
- Dry the outer ear well afterward. Clean only the outer ear with a cloth around your finger.
Do not use drops or rinse the ear if you may have a hole in your eardrum, have ear tubes, or had recent ear surgery.
What not to do
- Do not put cotton swabs or any other object into the ear canal. This can push wax deeper or hurt the ear.
- Do not use ear candles.
- Do not rinse the ear with a water jet made for cleaning teeth.
When to get care
Get emergency care for a button battery or other object stuck in the ear, or for severe dizziness, trouble walking, weakness of the face, or a new, very bad headache.
See a doctor in person, the same day, for sudden hearing loss or a big new change in hearing, severe ear pain, fever, or pus, blood or clear fluid coming from the ear.
Get an urgent in-person ear exam for a plugged ear after recent ear surgery or an ear injury. If you have ear tubes or a known hole in the eardrum, see a doctor in person instead of treating the wax at home.
If drops do not clear the plug, or your hearing stays muffled after the wax is cleared, see a doctor. A doctor can remove the wax in the office.
How our earwax visit works
If you are in Virginia or West Virginia, you can start a visit online at any time. It is for adults and children 4 and older (with a parent or legal guardian) with a plugged or muffled ear that came on slowly and is mild.
A board-certified physician reviews your answers and can suggest the safest way to clear the wax at home, or send a prescription if it is needed. If you need to be seen in person, the doctor will tell you.
It is not for anyone with the signs above, recent ear surgery, ear tubes, a known hole in the eardrum, or a recent ear injury.
Visits start at $59. You see the price before you pay, and you do not need insurance.
Sources
This guide is based on these sources: