I went to the hospital for a checkup 3 days later and the doctor said I had earwax and that it had to be removed and that I should take drops of medicine for a few days. She said that the earwax could not be pulled out and that it was okay not to pull it out, but I felt a lot of nerve pain in my ear and it hurt when I spoke and ate. Tang Shixiong, Department of Otolaryngology, Ningbo First Hospital: A small amount of earwax has a protective effect on the ear, so of course it doesn’t need to be removed, but too much earwax builds up and swells with water, causing inflammation and affecting hearing. However, it is more difficult to remove when the ear is inflamed and painful, so anti-inflammatory measures must be taken first to reduce the swelling.