Blocked ear: earwax or hearing loss? What to do and who to see in Spain

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By Sandra Meyer, hearing care professional (Spanish qualification: audioprotesista), registration no. 2822, Professional College of Higher Health Technicians of the Valencian Community · Published 7 October 2026

A blocked ear may be down to earwax, but it can also be something else, such as hearing loss. The feeling alone can’t tell you which: someone needs to look inside the ear. This guide explains what to avoid doing at home, who removes earwax in Spain and when to see a doctor first.

1. Why an ear feels blocked: the most common causes

The feeling of a blocked ear is very common. Some of the usual causes are:

• a build-up of earwax;
• a cold, an allergy or a change in pressure, for example on a plane;
• water left in the ear after swimming or a bath;
• hearing loss, which sometimes feels like ‘my ear is blocked’.

2. Earwax or hearing loss? Why the feeling alone can’t tell you

From the outside, earwax and hearing loss can feel the same: you hear less and your ear feels blocked.

The only way to know is for a professional to look inside the ear with an otoscope. If there is no wax blockage and you still hear less, the next step is to check your hearing.

3. When to see a doctor first: pain, fever, dizziness, discharge or sudden hearing loss

Before thinking about earwax or a hearing aid, see a doctor if your blocked ear comes with any of these:

• ear pain;
• a fever;
• dizziness, or a feeling that everything is spinning;
• discharge, meaning fluid coming out of the ear;
• a sudden drop in your hearing. In that case, see a doctor or go to A&E (Urgencias) without delay.

4. Cleaning your ears yourself? Why cotton buds, ear candles and other objects are best avoided

Earwax isn’t dirt. It protects the ear and usually comes out on its own, little by little.

That is why it is best not to put anything in your ear: no cotton buds, no hairgrips, no ear candles. Cotton buds push the wax further in and can cause a blockage or an injury. Ear candles don’t remove earwax and can cause burns.

5. Who removes earwax in Spain, how to arrange it and what to take with you

Earwax is removed by healthcare staff: at your local health centre (centro de salud) or by an ENT doctor (otorrino). Book an appointment as you would for anything else, explain that your ear feels blocked and take your health card or your insurance details.

6. If your hearing aid sounds quieter: wax in the filter or the speaker

If you wear a hearing aid and it suddenly sounds quieter, it is often earwax. It collects in the filter, a very small part at the tip of the speaker. Changing it is simple; we explain how in the guide Hearing aid not working?

7. What we do: we check your ear before the test and, if wax is blocking it, refer you to a doctor

Before any hearing test we look inside your ear. If there is a wax blockage, we don’t remove it ourselves: we tell you and refer you to a doctor. Once it has been removed, you come back and we do the test so the result is reliable.