Ear Wax

Earwax is made in the outer ear canal. This is the area between the fleshy part of the ear on the outside of your head (the part you can see) and the middle ear. The skin in the outer ear canal has special glands that produce earwax. The fancy name for this waxy stuff is cerumen (say: suh-ROO-mun).

An earwax blockage may cause the following symptoms:

an earache
an ear infection
itchiness
tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ear
a feeling of fullness in the ear
vertigo, or a sense of being unbalanced that can lead to dizziness and nausea
a cough, due to pressure from the blockage stimulating a nerve in the ear