Acute, life-threatening symptoms? Call 144 directly.
Condition
Earwax: muffled hearing and a feeling of pressure
- muffled hearing, usually on one side
- pressure or a feeling of fullness in the ear
- ringing or buzzing in the ear
- pain, rarely

Orientation
How urgent is it?
When in doubt, always choose the higher level.
Assessment and treatment on site. You are welcome without an appointment, too.
Book an appointmentor simply walk in
- discharge from the ear
- fever
- a known perforated eardrum or previous middle-ear surgery
- sudden loss of hearing
- dizziness
If your symptoms are acute and life-threatening, call 144. aprioris is not an emergency department.
Overview
What you should know
Muffled hearing or a feeling of pressure in the ear.
Earwax is normal and protects the ear canal. When it builds up it can muffle hearing, cause pressure or bring on ringing in the ear. Before any irrigation, the decisive question is whether it is an option at all in your case.
One address for your concern
Book an appointment or come by during opening hours. And if you are unsure whether we are the right address: come anyway; we will work it out with you.
Symptoms
Typical signs
Typical signs
- muffled hearing, usually on one side
- pressure or a feeling of fullness in the ear
- ringing or buzzing in the ear
- pain, rarely
What happens
What happens at aprioris
Our aim: to resolve your concern directly on site. Assessment, treatment and, where needed, a prescription or certificate. If specialist care is needed, we refer you on.
We assess the ear canal with an otoscope and clarify whether irrigation makes sense and is safe in your case. Where it is out of the question, or the findings remain unclear, we refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist.
Every case is reviewed and signed off by a physician, either during your visit or shortly after. Anything that needs specialist care, we refer on, prioritised by urgency and with a written report. aprioris does not dispense medication itself.
Treatment
Treatment overview
What you can do yourself
- do not work inside the ear canal with cotton buds, that pushes the wax deeper
- do not irrigate the ear while there is pain, fever or discharge
- do not wait it out if hearing is suddenly lost
Services
Related services
Locations
Where we treat this
Available at 10 locations, with an appointment or as a walk-in.
AmriswilBadenBern ChristoffelHerisauLucerne NeustadtWinterthur MarktgasseZurich AlbisriederplatzZurich LimmatplatzZurich MorgentalZurich Paradeplatz
Booking
Book an appointment online
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does the assessment cost?
aprioris is a medical practice licensed by the canton. Services covered by mandatory health insurance are billed accordingly. Your deductible and co-payment apply, as in any medical practice. Preventive services are paid for privately; prices are shown with each service.
What should I bring?
Your health insurance card. If you take medication, a current medication list or the packaging helps. For anything to do with vaccination, please bring your vaccination record.
When should I go straight to emergency care?
Sudden loss of hearing, severe ear pain with fever, or dizziness with vomiting: have that assessed today.
Do I need an appointment for this?
Not necessarily. You are welcome without booking during opening hours. If you book an appointment, you are seen at the agreed time. You can book online or by calling the practice.
