Frequent use of earbuds, earplugs and other devices that sit inside the ear canal can interfere with the ear’s natural ability to remove wax and dead skin, potentially contributing to buildup and discomfort.
“Ears are self-cleaning—the wax [and] the dead skin that’s there is generally pushed out on its own,” Carrie Nieman, MD, MPH, associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told HEALTH. “That kind of natural self-cleaning process can be interrupted with something in the ear canal, whether that’s earbuds or earplugs or hearing aids.”
Earwax, medically known as cerumen, serves an important purpose. Rather than being simply waste that needs to be removed regularly, it helps protect the ear canal. Under normal circumstances, wax and dead skin gradually move outward without the need for people to intervene.
However, regularly blocking the ear canal with earbuds may interfere with that process. When wax cannot move out as efficiently, it can accumulate, particularly among people who naturally produce larger amounts of earwax or whose ears are less effective at cleaning themselves.
Humidity could also play a role
Wax buildup is not the only issue experts are considering.
Nieman said frequent earbud use can increase humidity inside the ear canal. The same concern may apply to people who regularly wear headphones, depending on how they fit and how long they are worn.
That additional moisture could potentially affect the ear microbiome—the community of microorganisms naturally living in the ear canal. Changes to that environment could, in turn, increase the risk of ear infections.
However, experts stress that more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about whether regular earbud use directly causes these changes or significantly increases infection risk.
“Not everyone who uses earbuds will have problems with earwax,” Livia Chan, PA-C, otolaryngology physician assistant at Tufts Medical Center, told HEALTH.
Chan noted that the ear’s natural cleaning mechanism does not simply stop because someone wears earbuds during the day. The process continues while people are asleep, when they are presumably not wearing their earbuds.
Nieman said the people most likely to experience problems are those whose ears naturally produce more wax or whose ears do not clean themselves as effectively.
When should you seek help?
A feeling of fullness in the ear, muffled hearing or difficulty hearing normally can be signs that earwax has accumulated.
If those symptoms appear, Chan and Nieman said people can consider approaches such as mineral oil or home ear-irrigation kits, or contact a healthcare professional for advice and treatment.
At the same time, experts say people should avoid treating earwax as something that must routinely be removed simply because it is present. In many cases, the wax is performing a useful protective function and will leave the ear naturally.
Taking regular breaks from earbuds, earplugs and headphones can give the ear canal more opportunity to carry out that natural process.
But there is another reason experts want people to reconsider spending hours with earbuds in—and it may be considerably more important than earwax.
Hearing remains the bigger public-health concern
“The big public health risk of earbuds, it’s definitely not wax,” said Nieman. “It’s unsafe listening practices.”
Listening at excessive volumes for extended periods can damage hearing. For people who use earbuds throughout the day, the cumulative exposure to loud sound can be more significant than occasional use.
Experts therefore recommend paying attention not only to how long earbuds are worn but also to how loudly audio is played. A commonly recommended benchmark is keeping the volume around 60% of the device's maximum level.
Chan offered a simple practical test for determining whether the volume may be too high.
“If the person next to you can hear what you’re listening to, the volume is too loud,” she said.
The message for regular earbud users, therefore, is not necessarily to stop using them. Rather, experts recommend moderation: take breaks during the day, keep listening levels at a safe volume and pay attention to changes such as blocked ears, discomfort or reduced hearing.
For something as small as a pair of earbuds, the impact of how—and how often—they are used can extend well beyond convenience.