DIY ear wax removal - and why you should always see a professional

Ear wax. Everyone has it to some degree. It’s not the most plesant substance perhaps, but it’s there to play a vital role in keeping your ears clean and healthy, keeping the ear canals lubricated and free of germs. Ear wax is produced in the ear canal, and is made up of oil, sweat, dead skin cells and hair, a winning combination! Ear wax usually falls out on its own, but sometimes it can build up and become compacted, which can make the ears feel uncomfortable, hearing seem muffled, or even lead to symptoms of vertigo or tinnitus.

Why does earwax build up?

Wax can build up in the ears for a variety of reasons, for example;

• Narrow or damaged ear canals.

• Hair in the ear canals

• Skin conditions affecting the area.

• Inflammation of the ear canal

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How to clear wax build up

The safest way to clear an excessive build up of earwax is professional removal.

The most common method of wax removal is microsuction. This involves a small specula being inserted into the ear canal, and the wax gently suctioned out of the ear with a fine suction tube. This type of wax removal is generally very gentle and safe, and is suitable for most ears.

The other common method of wax removal is irrigation, also known as syringing, where the wax is flushed out of the ear with a jet of water. This method is not suitable for people who have perforated eardrums or who have had certain ear surgeries.

Before professional wax removal it can be helpful to soften the wax with drops for a few days. Olive oil drops are generally safe and easy to use, but always check and follow manufacturer instructions, and do not use ear drops if you have a perforated ear drum or have any contraindications listed in the patient care leaflet. If you are using olive oil from the bottle at home, it is not necessary to warm the olive oil – the skin in your ear canal is more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures than other areas of your body.

DIY wax removal and why you should avoid it.

As many GP surgeries are no longer routinely offering ear wax removal, patients are turning to the various DIY methods of earwax removal on the market. Often these either don’t solve the problem, or create new problems (damage to the ears, ear infection, or even permanent hearing loss) so it is important to see a professional to ensure the wax is removed safely and efficiently.

Cotton buds

Hands up who’s used cotton buds to clean their ears? Virtually everyone has succumbed to this temptation at some point, but cotton buds can actually make the wax build up worse by pushing wax further into the ear making removal more difficult – imagine trying to remove peanut butter from the inside of a biro casing and you’ll see how that could happen. The same goes for hair grips, pens, and those corkscrew devices advertised on social media.

Ear candles

There is no evidence to support the use of ear candles as an effective means of removing wax. Just don’t do it.

At home removal kits

At home wax removal kits may range from water bulbs that allow for self-syringing, or suction probes and syringes. Those that feature a camera allowing you to see inside the ears are appealing and can be useful for checking your ears to see if there is wax. However, putting anything in your ears is dangerous when you don’t know what you’re looking for, or what to expect from the physiology of the outer ear – for example, understanding the positioning and depth of the earwax in relation to the ear drum is vital in avoiding a perforation and potentially permanent damage to your ears.

The safest way to clear an excessive build up of earwax is professional removal.

The most common method of wax removal is microsuction. This involves a small specula being inserted into the ear canal, and the wax gently suctioned out of the ear with a fine suction tube. This type of wax removal is generally very gentle and safe, and is suitable for most ears.

Laura at Cambrian Hearing trained in microsuction wax removal at Aston University, Birmingham in 2018 and has performed the procedure an estimated 1000+ times since.

If you would like any further information about microsuction earwax removal before your appointment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01691 900880

cambrianhearing.co.uk