When Do You See a Doctor to Clean Your Ears?

Your ears are self-cleaning. They produce wax in order to clean your ears; to prevent dirt and debris from getting too deep into the ears and to help prevent infection. So you may be wondering, if they clean themselves why do I have so much of it? This is a very good and honest question to ask.

Why do some people produce more earwax?

Some people just tend to produce more wax than others. It is just like some people’s hair grows quicker than others or some people blue eyes while others have brown or green. We are all different and each of our bodies works a little different than the next.

Other reasons why some people produce more wax is due to having something in their ears or on their ears for long periods of time. For example a trade worker may have increased wax build-up because they need to wear hearing protection while they work or a DJ may have increased wax build-up due to having to wear their headphones as they play their music listening to the next song. So when is a good time to see your doctor if you believe that you have a build-up of wax in your ears?

When to see a professional for earwax

The best time to see your hearing care professional about wax build-up is when you think there may be a problem. Your hearing practitioner will be able to take a quick look in your ears and be able to tell right away if there is a problem. If there is no wax build-up your hearing care provider may suggest a hearing test to ensure there is nothing else going on in terms of your auditory system.

Treating excess earwax

However, if there is wax build-up your hearing professional will be able to go over with you what they believe should be done when it comes to cleaning your ears. If there is a small impaction they may prescribe some drops to place in your ears daily to help breakdown the wax. If there is a large impaction your hearing provider may have to clean out your ears there in the office. Be sure to be open and honest with your professional about your lifestyle so that they know if this is chronic or a lifestyle condition. With your hearing care practitioner knowing this information they will be able to help you with preventative measures for wax build-up in the future.