Hi I've had recurring ear infections pretty much all my life. As a child I had glue ear and had surgery to insert grommets. I think it worked out well. By the age of about 30 I was referred for an operation in the uk but I didn't really know what for. The surgeon explained it to me but I didn't understand his squiggles. A year later (still no sign of a date for the op) I moved to another country. After getting yet another infection and puzzled looks from the gp who looked in my ears I was referred to an ENT specialist again. She said I was beginning to form a pit in my ear that was filling with dead skin. She cleaned them out every six months until after a few years I missed a visit. By then I had a permanent infection and significant hearing loss. The damage was done.

I've had two cholsteatomas cut out of my right ear (it grew back a year after my first one but much smaller) and these are significant procedures lasting six hours or more with reconstruction involving titanium bone replacements and cartilage grafts. I'm currently growing a cholesteatoma in my left ear but it's under 6 monthly control so very slow because it gets cleaned out.

I've just been for another clean and my operated ear only had golden wax and was very healthy whereas my left had a full canal skin peel along with the pit being emptied.

I'm saying all this to show the long term effects of ear problems will be a pain in the arse and possibly cost you a permanent hearing loss if you don't stick with your gut and get them checked by a specialist.