I had to have an earflush in the doctor's office once a few years ago. I was doing a lot of swimming back then and, while q-tipping my ear one day, I must have pushed a bit of wax too far down inside. It built up over the summer to where there was a big hunk of it up against my eardrum which was painfull and lessened the hearing quite a bit on the one side. It took several shots before the doc washed out this flattened blackish wax cake and the skin beneath it was quite irritated.

I had tried several home remedies and over-the-counter cleaning products before the doctor's visit. I think they are more for preventative purposes. Never had a recurrence, though I think the wax production (like all annoying bodily nuisances) has increassed with age. I take more care now with the Q-Tip.