Ear wax removal

Why do we have earwax?

Ear wax is produced by glands in the ear canal skin that forms a protective barrier against bacteria and microbes entering the ear canal. It is a myth that earwax is dirty and unhealthy when it’s quite the opposite. It’s important to know that normally you don’t have to remove earwax as your ear is designed to be self-cleansing through a process called epithelial migration. During this wax is gently moved from your ear canal to the opening of your ear.

Various factors can prevent this process from happening properly and wax may become stuck or impacted in the ear canal. It is at this point, when patients will become aware of something feeling not quite right and will want to consider booking an appointment at our private ENT service.

What are the symptoms of ear wax build-up?

If you’re struggling with any of the below symptoms, you may have ear wax build up and it’s important to speak to a healthcare professional. If left untreated, it can lead to deafness, pain, infection and coughing (the wax can stimulate a nerve that’s linked to the voice box).

• Vertigo – feeling sick or dizzy
• Tinnitus – ringing or buzzing in your ears
• Hearing loss
• Earache
• Sensation that your ears are blocked or feel full
• Itchy ears
• Odour or discharge in the ear
• Pain in your ear

Who is likely to develop a build-up of ear wax?

Some people are predisposed to earwax build-up due to genetics and the way the ear is shaped. For example, people with very hairy ear canals are more likely to get problems, as are those with narrow or damaged ear canals and those that wear a hearing aid mould in the ear. People who have had ear surgery such as mastoidectomy will usually have to have their ears cleaned out on a regular basis due to the surgical formation of a cavity within the ear that cannot clean itself.

If you have a skin condition that affects your scalp or around your ear, or if you have inflammation of your ear canal due to “Swimmer’s Ear”, your ear canal may not be able to clean the wax out of your ear.

Some peoples' wax is of a more liquid consistency and therefore will not come out of the canal either.

Is microsuction safe?

Done by a Consultant ENT Surgeon, ear wax removal by microsuction is the safest and best way to remove ear wax from the outer ear, including for anyone with a perforated eardrum (hole in eardrum) or for someone with grommets. Microsuction is comfortable and pain-free, and is carried out under the direct guidance of a powerful microscope, that allows every bit of wax and skin debris to be removed in minute detail. All you will hear is some clicking, popping or a suction sound - patients often report this is pleasant rather than a painful experience, as it is like being able to scratch down your ear canal, which you are unable (or shouldn't) do yourself.

During this five-to-ten-minute procedure, the microscope tallows me to look into your ear canal and gives me an extremely clear view of where the wax is building up. I then insert a tiny suction tube into the canal and suction remove any ear wax blockage from the area. This makes the procedure very efficient and non-invasive.

Whereas ear syringing and irrigation flood the ear with water, this procedure is also liquid-free, and keeping your ear canal dry much reduces the risk of developing an infection afterwards. No prep is needed, such as using ear drops to soften the wax, before this procedure.

What ear wax removal methods should you avoid?

Your GP Practice may still offer a service to clear earwax via irrigation methods, although with funding changes this has become a more and more difficult service to access.

This It involves the use an electronic ear irrigator to remove large build-ups of earwax. A controlled flow of warm water is squirted into the ear canal to flush out your earwax. The irrigator has changeable pressure control measures so that minimum pressure can be used.

While this method is suitable in some cases, (in particular if your wax is hard and in large pieces), often patients have soft and sometimes liquid wax, and this is especially the case if they have been using wax-softening drops prior to the procedure.

If this is the case, irrigation techniques often just cause a gloopy mess in the ear, do not actually remove the wax, and can cause a secondary infection in the ear as a result of the procedure.

Also, This technique is of cause not guided in any way, and the practitioner is unable to make sure they have removed all of the wax in one go, as opposed to the microscopic guidance achieved during microsuction.

Ear irrigation

Some patients try to use an electronic ear irrigator themselves to remove large build-ups of earwax. The same factors apply as above.

Heat

Some believe that having warm showers that generate lots of steam can soften your earwax, making it easier to remove. Some people also use hairdryers to dry the ears after showers, but it won’t help to remove earwax and is not recommended, as the ears should be self-cleaning.

In fact, spraying water in your ears is just more likely to produce an infection, for the reasons stated above.

Cotton buds, tweezers, toothpicks and other tools

There’s a saying we should all follow – don’t put anything smaller than your elbows inside your ears! They do far more harm than good and usually result in pushing the ear wax further inside your ear and scraping the ear canal skin, thus causing pain, bleeding or even infection

Cotton buds, tweezers, toothpicks and other tools

Don’t use cotton buds to clean your ears! They do far more harm than good as this can result in pushing the ear wax further inside your ear, scraping the ear canal skin, causing pain, bleeding or even infection. There’s a saying we should all follow – don’t put anything smaller than your elbows inside your ears!

Ear Candling

I don’t recommend ear candling which involves putting a lighted candle very near your ear! If you were doing this on yourself, you could be at serious risk of burning your ear or hair. Ear candles are often hollow fabric cones soaked in wax or paraffin and people cut a hole in a paper plate and stick the candle into it to ensure candle wax or ash doesn’t fall.

The candle is then placed in the ear canal and it burns for 15 minutes. Some report that it creates a low suction force that draws the wax and debris from their ear. However, this has not been clinically proven.

Over-the-counter ear drops

There are plenty of over-the-counter wax softening drops which you can buy such as Sodium Bicarbonate or Otex, which contains Hydrogen Peroxide which fizzes inside the ear to help loosen the wax. In many cases this will allow the wax to come out naturally, but sometimes like all these blind procedures may itself cause infection around the wax. In general, I am not a fan of olive oil in this situation, as I think it tends to cause a rather greasy unhealthy mess around and inside the ear.

What to expect after microsuction earwax removal?

Immediate after-effects

Ear canal microsuction is done in outpatients, with you lying on a couch, and usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. It is usually very well tolerated and without side-effects, but you will be asked to remain sitting afterwards for a few minutes to make sure that you don’t feel unsteady, which can happen for a minute or 2 two after the procedure.

Very unusually, ear microsuction can cause pain or mild discomfort but your ENT Consultant can immediately stop the procedure or help to minimise the discomfort if this is the case. There may sometimes be some mild irritation of the ear, minor or temporary hearing changes or some bleeding after the procedure, but this is very unusual and usually resolves very quickly.

What are the expected benefits of Microsuction?

If earwax build-up was resulting in symptoms such as discomfort, blockage of your ears, hearing loss, tinnitus or vertigo, you should notice an immediate difference post-microsuction procedure.

Private ear wax removal

Myself and our experienced Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Consultants offer a wide range of treatments for a range of common conditions. Our ENT service provides the latest treatments and modern diagnostic facilities to help you feel better again.

Many patients choose our private hospital for their ear wax removal so they can be treated in a discreet environment, as our hospital is located in the Kent countryside.

To find out more about ear canal microscution or other ENT treatments, or to book an appointment, complete our online booking form or contact our Private Patient team via LiveChat or on 01580 363158.

Published on 18 November 2024