The ear canal is shaped somewhat like an hourglass -- narrowing part way down. The skin of the outer part of the canal has special glands that produce earwax. This wax is supposed to trap dust and dirt particles to keep them from reaching the eardrum. Usually the wax accumulates a bit, dries out and then comes tumbling out of the ear, carrying dirt and dust with it, or it may slowly migrate to the outside where it can be wiped off. The ear canal may be blocked by wax when attempts to clean the ear push wax deeper into the ear canal and cause a blockage. Wax blockage is one of the most common causes of hearing loss.

Symptoms of wax buildup include partial hearing loss, tinnitus or noises in the ear, earache or fullness in the ear or a sensation the ear is plugged.

Under ideal circumstances, you should never have to clean your ear canals. However, we all know that this isn't always so. If you want to clean your ears, you can wash the external ear with a cloth over a finger, but do not insert anything into the ear canal. In the event that the home treatments are not satisfactory or wax has accumulated so much that it blocks the ear canal, your physician may prescribe eardrops designed to soften wax or may wash or vacuum it out. Occasionally, an Otolaryngologist may need to remove the wax using microscopic visualization.