Blocked Ears or Earache? Here’s What You Need to Know About Ear Health and Safe Wax Removal

 Our ears are something we often take for granted but they play a vital role in our daily lives. The outer, middle and inner ear work in sync to create a hearing system that turns oscillations in the air into signals our brain translates as speech, music and sounds. However, like any other part of our body, our ears are susceptible to various conditions that can impact our hearing, balance, and overall well-being. 

Proactive steps for good ear health include gentle cleaning of the outer ear to allow the natural self-cleaning mechanism to unfold, shielding your ears from excessive noise, avoiding getting excessive water in your ears when showering or swimming. Making mindful lifestyle choices such as adequate rest, a balanced diet and regular exercise is key for your ear health and overall health. By prioritising ear health, we enable ourselves to fully enjoy the symphony of sounds that colour our experiences and shape our daily lives. 

Ear health can be affected by a variety of factors including blockage or buildup of wax, infection in the middle or outer ear, injury, irritation or dental problems. 

Earwax Blockage Symptoms and Causes

Earwax blockage occurs when wax builds up, causing potential earache and discomfort as well as hearing issues, ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus) and feelings of sickness and dizziness (vertigo). Ear wax is a complex mixture of substances, mainly consisting of dead skin cells, hair, and secretions from the ceruminous and sebaceous glands in the ear canal which work in unison to produce a waxy, oily substance.

While it might seem like an inconvenience, earwax is a natural and essential substance and serves several important functions. Its main roles are to lubricate the ear canal to make sure it doesn’t become dry and itchy and to trap water, dust and bacteria to prevent them from travelling deeper into the ear canal where they can potentially cause damage. 

Factors like overproduction, improper cleaning, and the use of earplugs can contribute to earwax blockage or buildup. Attempts to remove the wax at home with objects such as our fingers or cotton buds can worsen the blockage as they push it deeper into the ear making the blockage worse, It also disrupts the ear’s natural self-cleansing mechanism where our ears naturally push out older earwax from the ear canal as new wax is produced. Professional removal by trained clinicians using microsuction is a safer, more effective method that minimises complications and preserves ear health. 

 How to Get Rid of Ear Wax Safely and Unblock Your Ears

 Several of our Pharmacy+Health Pharmacies are able to offer an Ear Wax Removal Service. Using the Tympa Platform, allows our trained staff to capture high-definition images and videos of your ears using digital otoscopy to clearly visualise and understand any problems in your ears. The Tympa Platform then enables our trained staff to deliver microsuction wax removal using its suction tank. This delivers a quick, safe, and painless treatment as it gently suctions wax from the ear. Microsuction is considered the safest method of wax removal. Compared to the alternative of ear irrigation it is a more comfortable and quicker process, no liquids, eardrops or pre-treatment is required. It also has the lowest risk of complications.

If you’re looking to get your ear wax removed, simply book an appointment at any of the branches offering the service at a time that suits you. While no payment is required when booking an appointment on our website, the service costs £60 for one or both ears as required, and if no wax is found you will only be charged £20 for the ear health check. 

Ear Wax or Ear Pain .. How to Tell Them Apart? 

Ear pain can also frequently accompany colds, especially in young children. When nasal mucus and congestion are present in the upper respiratory tract, the ear can feel blocked, uncomfortable or painful due to inflammation of the throat and nasal passages and the associated blockage of the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the nasal cavity. 

When the Eustachian tube is blocked, the ear can no longer be cleared and the air pressure cannot be equalised through swallowing. This can make the patient feel uncomfortable and deaf but will often resolve itself without medical intervention. However, sometimes a secondary infection with inflammation can follow and this is known as acute otitis media (AOM). 

Older children and adults will usually describe the symptoms of acute otitis media as a sudden onset of earache, usually in one ear and will be aware of hearing loss associated with the ear pain. Perforation of the eardrum can also sometimes occur and will often result in an instantaneous relief of pain. Younger children usually display the signs of pain by holding, tugging or rubbing their ears and may also display more non-specific symptoms such as fever, poor feeding, behavioural changes and malaise. Vomiting may also occur. Bilateral otitis media, in both ears, is also more common in those aged two years and under. 

Ear Pain NHS Assessment and Treatment for Under 17’s 

Our pharmacists can help children aged from 1 to 17 years suffering with acute otitis media free of charge under the NHS Pharmacy First Service and if treatment is needed our pharmacists can also provide this treatment for free. While we do recommend booking your NHS pharmacy first appointment ahead of time on our website to reduce the wait time till you’re seen by our healthcare specialists – there’s no problem if you don’t manage to book an appointment online. You can either be referred by your GP or 

just head into one of our local pharmacies and the team will arrange an assessment for you on the same day if possible. 

Unfortunately, this service is not available for adults over 18 but many of our Pharmacy+Health Pharmacies will also be offering a private adult ear service very soon. This service will allow our pharmacy branches to provide treatment at a small cost for adult ear infections to the community at their local Pharmacy+Health branch. 

Healthcare at your local Pharmacy+Health

Prioritising your ear health means more than just staying comfortable, it helps protect your hearing, balance, and quality of life. Whether it’s blocked ears or ear pain, our expert pharmacy teams are here to help you and your family get the treatment you need when you need it.