When an ear feels blocked, many people reach for a cotton bud. The NHS says the opposite — do not use your fingers or objects like cotton buds to remove earwax. Instead, olive or almond oil 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days should see lumps of wax come out over about 2 weeks, and if symptoms have not cleared after 5 days, get it seen. This sets out the NHS page “Earwax build-up”.
1. No cotton buds or fingers. Don’t put objects in your ear to get wax out.
2. Olive or almond oil, 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days. The wax comes out over about 2 weeks.
3. Not cleared after 5 days? Get it seen. The same if your ear is so blocked you cannot hear.
Signs of earwax build-up
- Hearing loss
- Earache or a feeling that the ear is blocked
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Vertigo
Tinnitus and hearing loss can also come from loud sound — the WHO’s safe listening times are in how loud is too loud for earphones.
What to try at home — the NHS steps
| Step | What the NHS says | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lie down | On your side with the affected ear facing up | So the oil runs into the ear |
| 2. Add oil | Olive or almond oil — not almond oil if you are allergic to almonds | The step before the pharmacy |
| 3. Repeat | 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days | Not a one-off |
| 4. Wait | Lumps of wax come out over about 2 weeks | No cotton buds in the meantime either |
The first two columns follow the NHS steps; the right-hand column is our gloss.
What not to do
- Don’t use fingers or objects like cotton buds to remove earwax.
- Ear candles and ear vacuums — there is no evidence they get rid of earwax.
- Don’t use drops if you have a perforated eardrum.
When to get help
| Where | When and what | NHS adds |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy | Advice on and supply of medicines that dissolve wax | No drops with a perforated eardrum |
| GP surgery nurse | Symptoms not cleared after 5 days, or ear so blocked you cannot hear | An infection can develop |
| Wax removal | Flushing with water (electronic ear irrigation) or suction (microsuction) | Usually painless · not all surgeries offer it |
This describes UK GP services. In Korea an ear, nose and throat clinic would be the natural equivalent, but the page says nothing about the Korean system (our reading). Choosing between an emergency room and a local clinic is covered in ER or local clinic.
Why it builds up
- Narrow or damaged ear canals
- Lots of hair in the ear canal
- A skin condition affecting the scalp or skin around the ear
- Inflammation of the ear canal (swimmer’s ear)
It usually falls out by itself
The NHS page opens with “Earwax normally just falls out on its own”, adding that a pharmacist can help when it blocks your ears. With wax-dissolving drops from a pharmacy, the wax should fall out on its own or dissolve after about a week.
On prevention it is clear — you cannot prevent earwax. Regularly using eardrops, or olive or almond oil, will help soften build-up. The GP advice is labelled non-urgent, and not all GP surgeries remove earwax.
Checklist
- ☐ No cotton buds, fingers or ear candles
- ☐ Olive or almond oil, 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days
- ☐ Allow about 2 weeks
- ☐ Not cleared after 5 days, or can’t hear? Get it seen
- ☐ No drops with a perforated eardrum
Questions that remain
How often should ears be cleaned?
The NHS page read here gives no cleaning interval; it only covers what to do when wax builds up.
Is it the same for children?
The page does not set out children separately, so we say nothing about children.
With earache too, the NHS says not to use cotton buds or try to remove earwax — urgent help after 2 to 3 days (earache).
Sources
- NHS — Earwax build-up — original (page last reviewed 5 January 2024, next review due 5 January 2027; checked 12 October 2026). Four symptoms, lying on your side with oil, 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days, about 2 weeks, falls out on its own, cannot be prevented, pharmacy drops about a week, no cotton buds or fingers, no evidence for ear candles or vacuums, pharmacy, 5 days, irrigation and microsuction, causes.
- Not read. Korean agencies’ earwax guidance.
- Added by us. The “worth noting” column.
Where to check further
- A pharmacy — wax-dissolving medicines.
Written 12 October 2026. The content follows the NHS original; the glosses are ours.