Yes earwax can be become impacted and cause terrible problems. When I was a muso and travelling a lot I went suddenly and painfully deaf. Lost about 80% of my hearing…not good for a muso.
Went to an emergency doctor when I got off the plane and in the next city. Apparently standing in front of of a large concert set of speakers ( I was a bass player) helped compact the stuff over the years, coupled with a teenagers/young mans lack of simple hygiene and pressurised air travel had compacted the good light brown wax that had great health benefits into a sullen, hardened ball of infection in my right ear, a painful and dangerous condition that was being replicated in my left.
I was grounded. Not allowed to fly to the next gig as it could have killed me. I was given a night in hospital with warm irrigation, drugs and a full time very lovely nurse ( insurance was a good thing when paid by the promoters) and two days later in the next city a disgusting amount of smelly, black and yellow flecked grunge came out of my left ear. I almost screamed with the sudden onrush of sound and got a stage hand to get me an earplug. Later that night after the gig, in pain, I went back to my hotel where, at the bar, a huge amount of the most disgusting yellow and black crap descended from my right ear down over my neck. Red in the face with embarrassment I went to my room, followed quickly by the Hotel Medic who read my notes, took my pillows and replaced them with disposables as he said " that shit ain’t going to stop for a while" .
It was disgusting. Went to the local hospital ENT the next day who cleansed, swabbed, syringed and cleaned me. Gave me lectures about hygiene, hearing loss in musicians, and a course of drugs, and, finally 6 months supply of sterile earplugs (one time use).
I gave them tickets and backstage passes.
The discharge continued for three days getting more and more odiferous every time I removed the earplugs. I was very drunk after every gig…and a recluse.
I have at 70 years, and unusually for a retired muso nearly 75% hearing in my left and 70% in my right, something I can only put down to the earwax in my youth stopped the worst of the damage my occupation was noted for, plus that near escape and disgusting nature of the cure made sure I ALWAYS wore earplugs when performing.