Is Excessive Ear Wax Caused By Sleep Apnea?

May 11, 2009

I read recently read in Your Jaws, Your life (by Dr. David C. Page) that ear wax production was related to obstructive sleep apnea. I never thought about it in this way, since ear wax is thought to be a normal process. But in retrospect, I have many people with sleep-breathing problems that make extremely excessive ear wax. Some even have to come in once monthly to take out a plug the size of the end of your pinky.

Here’s one possible explanation: Any degree of sleep-breathing problems can cause an imbalance in your involuntary nervous system. This is what controls your blood pressure, heart rate, sleep, sweating, temperature regulation, digestion, and other important body functions. It’s divided into the sympathetic (stress, fight or flight response) and the parasympathetic (relaxation response) nervous systems. I’ve described situations where due to relatively too much of a stress response, you can have cold hands or feet, or chronic diarrhea.

Sweating is activated by the sympathetic nervous system. Ear wax is a modified form of sweat, since the glands have similar origins. Think of it as a dried form of sweat. If for whatever reason, if your sympathetic nervous system is over-activated, then you can "sweat" excessively in certain parts of your body, and this can happen on one or both sides.

This would make for an interesting study: Can CPAP for OSA lessen ear wax production?

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog
Tagged: ,cerumen, ear wax, obstructive sleep apnea, sweating

4 Responses to “Is Excessive Ear Wax Caused By Sleep Apnea?”

Heather on January 17th, 2011 9:31 pm

My 5 year old son has an excessive amount of earwax and mild to moderate GERD-induced OSA. My question about the earwax is this: Can the excess amount be a response to the increased acid refluxing into that area? The reason I’m wondering this is that his dad also has significant GERD and when he’s having a flare up, he will complain with ear pain and blame it on the the “acid”. Hmmm…..
Steven Park on January 18th, 2011 7:04 pm

Heather, there’s no direct connection between the ear canal (where wax is made) and the throat/nose area that connects to the middle ears. When you have reflux, it can irritate the throat, which can be perceived as ear pain. Direct acid exposure to the eustachian tube opening in the back of the nose can also lead to discomfort and pain.
Janet Barnes on June 1st, 2011 11:09 pm

I have only just made the connection with making excessive ear wax and sweating at night. I have over the last couple of years been very hot at night due to menopause, and I have been several times per year to the doctor to remove ear wax. I started HRT last year and the excessive ear wax stopped. Recently I have experienced some night sweats and the ear wax is back! I had a holiday in the Bahamas when humidity was extremely high, and I had to visit the doctor there because both ears became blocked. Now it makes sense. I have never read about the connection on any websites about menopause.
Steven Park on June 2nd, 2011 2:51 am

Janet,

Thanks for your response. Hot flashes and night sweats are a common response to sleep-breathing changes during menopause. I’ve written extensively about the connection between menopause, night sweats, and obstructive sleep apnea in the past. These symptoms are neurologic, vasomotor effects that can happen even in young men who are slowly gaining weight.