The Sticky Truth About Itchy Ears: You May Be Causing the Problem – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

When it comes to itchy ears, you may be your own worst enemy. So put down that cotton swab (or whatever you were about to stick in there) and think about that for a minute.

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Now let’s talk about what you should — and shouldn’t — do for your ears.

Itchy …….

When it comes to itchy ears, you may be your own worst enemy. So put down that cotton swab (or whatever you were about to stick in there) and think about that for a minute.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Now let’s talk about what you should — and shouldn’t — do for your ears.

Itchy ears are quite common and aren’t usually a sign of a serious condition. But sometimes the things you do, or forget to do, can cause them to itch — or make the problem worse.

Ear surgeon Erika Woodson, MD, says itchy ears are a universal experience. “It’s part of the human condition, but it’s not generally something to be concerned about,” she says.

She traces the most likely causes to these three problems:

1. Getting your ears ‘too clean’

Dr. Woodson says nearly half the patients she treats have ear conditions they caused themselves. The biggest culprit? Excessive or intrusive cleaning.

“The purpose of earwax is to waterproof and protect your ears,” she explains. “It has both antifungal and antibacterial properties to help prevent infection.”

Over-cleaning can remove that protection. While it may provide temporary relief, it leaves you open to bigger problems than that tickle in your ear.

Sticking objects in your ear canal to clean it (or to scratch an itch) often just makes matters worse. You’ll likely just push the wax farther in. And that can lead to earwax buildup.

Itchiness is often a symptom of wax buildup, but you’ll likely notice other signs — pain or an odor coming from the ear, for instance.

“Most of us don’t need to clean our ears at all,” says Dr. Woodson. Earwax generally comes out of the ear canal on its own. And you can wash it away from your outer ear when you bathe.

What to do: You can typically treat earwax buildup at home. Use ear drops to break up the wax, but don’t try to clean out the ear canal with anything else, Dr. Woodson advises. See your doctor if drops aren’t effective.