Pregnancy and ear wax

The body changes in so many ways during pregnancy – and sometimes we experience some very unexpected symptoms. Forget about strange cravings and trouble sleeping, we’re here to talk about something even more niche – changes in ear wax production.

It’s not a widely researched topic, however online forums and social media websites are seeing hundreds of comments from pregnant women reporting everything from wet and waxy ears to tinnitus. So how can ear wax cause these symptoms during pregnancy?

Hormones are firing at rapid speed during pregnancy, with oestrogen and progesterone rising massively. These hormone surges cause some significant changes to your body. Hormone imbalances can lead to excess ear wax production. When this excess ear wax builds up, it can harden and impact your ear canal, causing a variety of symptoms. So, what symptoms are pregnant women most likely to experience?

Tinnitus
1 in 3 women experience tinnitus when they’re pregnant². Most of the time, it’s harmless. But it could also be a sign of something more severe. Ear wax build up can cause tinnitus when the hardened wax stimulates the nerves within the ear, triggering the brain to interpret sounds that aren’t there. These usually manifest as ringing or buzzing sounds. If you’re experiencing tinnitus during your pregnancy, it’s best to speak to a GP who can investigate the cause further.

Wet and waxy ears
There’s limited evidence, but women are reporting wet and waxy ears during pregnancy. Pereire on Mumsnet said “I had really waxy ears when pregnant. Never had issues with it before.”, and dansealongwithme on Reddit shared that her ear wax production went “absolutely bonkers since getting pregnant”.
Earache
You may find you experience earache during pregnancy, which can be caused by a few different factors. The first is a build-up of fluid inside your ear. This can happen because your heart is working harder to move fluid around the body, raising your basal metabolic rate.

Those pesky hormone changes can also make you more susceptible to ear infections. This is because hormones can affect your immune system, lowering your defences against bacteria and viruses. You may have an infection if you feel pain, swelling, itching or discoloured drainage from the ear. See a doctor as soon as you can if you think you might have an ear infection.

How should we treat it?

If your symptoms are caused by ear wax build up, there are a range of over-the-counter ear drop treatments which can help. The entire Otex range can be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding and is formulated with widespread ingredients. However, safety trials have not been conducted, so you should always speak to a healthcare professional first.

² https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53146-Causes-of-tinnitus-and-hearing-loss-during-pregnancy