Ear wax and your hearing: what we can and can't help with

Can ear wax really cause hearing loss?

Yes — though usually a temporary, mechanical kind. Ear wax (cerumen) is normal and protective, but when enough of it builds up to block the ear canal it physically muffles sound before it can reach the eardrum. Clinicians call this conductive hearing loss, and wax occlusion is one of the most common reversible causes of it.

Typical signs that wax may be behind your dulled hearing include:

• hearing that has faded gradually over weeks, or dropped suddenly after a shower or a swim (water can make wax swell against the canal wall)
• a blocked or full feeling in one or both ears
• your own voice sounding loud, muffled or "boomy" to you
• earbuds or hearing aid domes that seem to push wax deeper over time.

Because the cause is a physical blockage, wax-related symptoms often improve once the wax is removed. We are careful never to promise a particular outcome, though: dulled hearing has many possible causes (age-related change, infection, fluid behind the eardrum and others), and removing wax only helps when wax is actually the problem. The pharmacist examines both ears first and will tell you honestly what they can see. If no significant wax is found, they will discuss it with you before proceeding.

Why get wax removed before a hearing test?

This catches a lot of people out. Audiologists routinely cannot test a blocked ear: a plug of wax skews the results, and many audiology providers will simply postpone the appointment and ask you to have the wax dealt with first. Wax removal is therefore often the required first step on the way to a hearing test, a hearing aid fitting or an earmould impression, not an alternative to them.

If you have been asked to clear wax before an audiology appointment, we can usually help quickly. The pharmacy is open Mon–Sat 9am–9pm and Sunday 9am–6pm (over 80 hours a week), and same-day appointments are often available. No GP referral is needed. Using olive oil drops (or Earol spray) for 3–5 days beforehand usually makes removal easier, though it is not strictly required. Most blockages are cleared in one visit; occasionally a second visit, or a few more days of softening drops, is needed. NHS ear wax removal is no longer a core GP service in most areas, and local access is referral-based and restricted, which is why many people now use a pharmacy-based service like ours. See our page on getting a blocked ear cleared for what an appointment involves.

What we offer / what we don't

We would rather be straight with you than book an appointment that does not fit your problem.

We do offer:

• microsuction ear wax removal: a safe, widely used method when performed by a trained clinician, delivered here by a pharmacist
• a flat price of £50 for one ear or £70 for both, the same in the evenings and at weekends, with no hidden fees
• appointments for children typically from around age 5, always subject to the pharmacist's assessment on the day (we do not see under-5s, and we never promise in advance that removal will go ahead for any child)
• free parking directly outside the pharmacy.

We do not offer: hearing tests, hearing aids, audiology assessments, home visits, or ear irrigation (syringing). If your hearing is still dulled after wax has been removed, or the pharmacist finds little wax to remove, the next step is a proper hearing assessment. See your GP about an NHS audiology referral, or book directly with a local audiologist. We will tell you plainly if that is what we think you need.

When to seek urgent help

You should also seek medical advice first, rather than booking wax removal, if you have severe ear pain, discharge or bleeding from the ear, new dizziness or facial weakness, or hearing loss following a head injury. For everything wax-related, we are happy to help: book through our contact page or call 0161 948 5066. Timperley Late Night Pharmacy, 250 Stockport Road, Timperley, Altrincham WA15 7UN.