Health Advice

Latest from blog

Head Lice – Help!!!

Every parent’s heart sinks when they receive the dreaded note from school warning about head lice. Don’t worry – Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy in Donabate is here to to give us advice and tips. The first thing to do is to check the child’s head. You will need some tea tree conditioner, a... Read more >

Read more

Are You SunSmart?

We ask Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy Donabate how to make the most of great sunny summer days whilst protecting our skin from harmful rays. Jane says “The Irish Cancer Society SunSmart program has great guidelines to keep us safe. See below for some useful tips and advice” Ways to protect your skin: Shade... Read more >

Read more

Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes

Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes… Talk to Jane Brennan, your Hay Fever Expert in Donabate Are your eyes itchy, red or watery? Is your throat scratchy? Are you sneezing? Do you have itchy ears, nose or mouth? Do you have a blocked or runny nose? Do you wake up feeling exhausted? Hay fever can cause... Read more >

Read more

Life Pharmacy Ireland – Live Better

Bringing you the best health advice for your family

NHS Choices - Causes of earwax build-up

(10/03/2014)

Some people are naturally more susceptible to developing a blockage in their ear, for various reasons.

Your risk of developing problems from a build-up of earwax is increased if you have:

  • narrow ear canals or ear canals that aren't fully formed
  • a lot of hair in your ear canals
  • bony growths in the outer part of your ear canal – these are called osetomata
  • a skin condition of your scalp or preauricular area (the area just in front of your earlobe)
  • hard wax – because it's more likely to become impacted (firmly lodged in your ear canal)  
  • a history of recurrent impacted earwax
  • repeated ear infections
  • learning difficulties (the reason for this is unknown) 

Elderly people are more at risk of having earwax problems because earwax becomes drier with age. 

Impacted earwax

If you produce a lot of earwax, further blockages may occur, even after you've had an earwax plug removed.

Further blockages are also likely to occur if you have particularly narrow ear canals that become blocked more easily.

Your chances of developing an earwax blockage are also increased if you:

  • use cotton buds – they can push earwax deeper into your ear and pack it together harder, creating an earwax plug
  • wear a hearing aid or earplugs, which can stop earwax falling out of your ear naturally
Back to Earwax