Ear wax has many important functions such as protecting the ear canal as well as moisturising it. It also acts as a temporary water repellent and the chemicals that are contained within the wax can fight off infections that could damage the skin within the ear canal.
However, when ear wax builds up it can be problematic. Excess ear wax can cause difficulty hearing, pain in the ear, ringing noise in the ear (tinnitus), and temporary deafness after swimming or having a shower.

OTC treatments can be used to soften the wax making it easier to remove, e.g. Earex, Otex, Olive oil etc.

Other ear problems:
• Otitis Media – This is an infection of the middle ear that is most common in children but may affect adults too. Symptoms include earache, hearing loss, fever and tinnitus. There may also be discharge of pus coming from the infected ear. If not treated properly, the eardrum may rupture which will cause severe pain and deafness. A course of antibiotics will be needed to treat this; therefore, you must consult your doctor.
• Glue ear – This occurs following a long-term build-up of thick or sticky fluid in the middle ear and causes hearing loss. It commonly affects children.
• Otitis Externa – This is a bacterial or fungal infection of the ear canal. It occurs when too much water gets inside the ear, removing the protective ear wax which makes the ear canal more susceptible to infections. It is often referred to as ‘swimmer’s ear’ and is most common in summer when more of us are inclined to go swimming.
Symptoms include pain and itching, dulled hearing and discharge.
‘EarCalm spray’ is used to treat otits externa as it acts as antifungal and antibacterial.
More severe cases will require a prescription-only medicine and therefore you should consult your doctor.

Signposting:
www.entuk.org/ear-conditions-0
www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax