What happens to ear wax if I don't clean it out with a cotton swab?

What happens to ear wax if I don't clean it out with a cotton swab?

Jason Hamilton (Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon) gives expert video advice on: What should I do if I suffer a sudden hearing loss?; How does excessive noise affect my hearing?; Which diseases or illnesses can cause hearing impairment? and more...

The ear actually has a self-cleaning cycle where the wax is circulated from the eardrum to the outer ear. Over time, all the wax in the ear kind of works its way out. When you use a Q-tip, you push the wax that's trying to come out back into the ear. Many patients who do use Q-tips are the ones who come in that need to get wax dis-impacted from the ear. We're specialists in the ear, so patients come in who have a hole in their eardrum, and they lose their hearing. We ask, “How did that hole get there?” Most commonly it's from a Q-tip. Another way to get a perforation in the eardrum is if someone slaps someone with an open hand on the ear. That can rupture the eardrum and cause hearing loss.