As strange as it sounds, stress can increase earwax production for some people. When you’re feeling stressed, your body produces a hormone called cortisol. A high level of cortisol in the body can make some of your skin glands more active, including the glands in your ear canal which creates earwax. So, in times when you’re feeling more anxious or stressed, you may also notice increased earwax production.
Earwax is naturally produced by your body to help protect your ears. One of its main purposes is to keep out dust and bacteria from entering the ear canal. Usually, earwax moves out of the ear and falls out naturally, however, when you produce more wax than normal, it can become impacted and cause discomfort. When earwax builds up due to stress, it can lead to symptoms like itchiness, muffled hearing, or even pain.
These are some things you can do at home to reduce stress related earwax production. Things like relaxation, deep breathing, stretching, or even taking short breaks from your work can help relieve stress. If you’re generally an anxious person, try and get enough sleep, regularly drink water to stay hydrated and keep active to help your body manage stress better.
If you feel like you have blocked earwax, avoid using cotton buds as these can push wax deeper into the ear canal. Instead, use home remedies such as warm water while showering to soften the wax and even relieve stress helping you to relax.
