On of the most commons things for people to search for in the evening is to do with ear wax build-up. After a night watching TV and realising it sounds muffled and the volume keeps creeping up, or there is a blocked itchy feeling in the ears that won’t shift.
First reaction is to reach for the cotton buds or a home removal kit.
Understandable but not always the safest thing to do.
Here’s what can work at home, what to avoid and when it’s time to get a professional to check your ears.
Why Ear Wax Builds Up in the First Place
Ear wax is natural and is not a sign that anything is wrong with your ears, it is good for us. It is the ear’s own cleaning system; it traps any dust and debris that gets into the ear canals and then the wax usual works it way out on its own. Ear wax starts to build up when this process gets disrupted. This can be because of narrow ear canals, the use of hearing aids or ear buds that stops the natural movement of the wax, hairy ears where the wax gets trapped in it or the use of tools such as cotton buds that actually push the wax deeper in the canals rather than getting it out.
What’s Genuinely Safe to Try at Home
If you feel like your ears are getting blocked and want to try something at home to help before booking anywhere there are a few gentle options that widely considered safe:
- Ear drops: Olive oil and dual action peroxide drops used for a around a week can help soften any wax that is building up. This usually doesn’t remove the blockage though but can help to soften the wax and allow it to move so hearing can return.
- Leaving it alone: In mild cases just leaving your ears and doing nothing is the safest option as the wax can move on its own and unblock if it is not compacted.
- Keeping ears dry after swimming or showering: Ensuring you don’t get water in the ear canals and making sure they are dried properly after being in water can reduce the feeling of blocked ears, using swim plugs help when swimming as it stops water from getting into the ears.
That’s about the limit of what is safe to do at home without training or the correct equipment.
What to avoid and why
These are the important things worth noting.
- Cotton Buds. Even thought they look like they remove a lot of wax all they do is push the wax further into the canal, often making it compact which can cause other problems such as pain.
- Ear Candling. There is no real evidence that these work in any way. The risk of burning your face or ears is high not to mention hot wax dripping into your ear canals.
- Home syringe kits or irrigation bulbs. Without being able to understand what is going on in the ear canals these can not be used safely, if there is an infection or damage to the ear drum such as perforations these tools can cause more problems and really damage your hearing.
- Alternatives to cotton buds. Small scoop ends on a camera which are sold online. People use these to perform wax removal on themselves or other even though they may be able to see in the ear canal people do not understand how deep to go or the damage that catching the ear drum with he ends can cause. Th ear drum is a thin membrane, and it does not take much to damage this which will cause a perforation which then can lead to hearing loss or infections
Signs it’s time to get your ears checked by a professional
Book in with an audiologist when you notice any of the following:
- Hearing loss on one side
- Hearing loss that doesn’t seem to be clearing up on its own
- Pain, discharge or a smell from the ear
- The feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Ringing, hissing or buzzing sounds in your ears
- You’ve already used olive oil drops for a week and there has been no change
- You wear hearing aids and the sound quality appears to be different or duller
What Actually Happens During a Professional Appointment
A professional audiologist or wax removal specialist will never start by going straight into the ears with the wax removal equipment. They will ask questions and have a look in the ears with an otoscope. This gives them more of an idea of what has been happening and what your needs are.
The otoscope is used to look at the ear itself, check inside the ear canals and to ensure the ear drum is intact. Also, the visual image of the ear can show infections and how much wax you have in the ears. If there is no wax in the ears this is identified and advised that the removal is not needed if there is wax this can suggest which method would be appropriate for that ear or individual.
This step is the most important for any wax removal. It is the reason that professional removal is safer than doing it blind at home. You may not be able to see in your own ears and if you cannot understand what’s happening in there.
Microsuction and Irrigation: What is the difference?
Depending on what the examination shows depends on what technique is the best to use on you.
Microsuction uses a fine suction tube under magnification to gently grab the soft wax and remove it from the canal without the use of any water or liquid going into the canals. It is precise and mostly considered the most comfortable way of removing wax from the ears. It is suitable for most ears including people who have a history of perforations or infections, where was water-based methods are not appropriate for these people.
Irrigation uses controlled water flow to flush out wax that is building up in the canals. It works well for some ears especially for runny wax. It is not suitable if there is any risk of perforated ear drums or current active infections.
Why the professional route matters
The honest difference between home removal and professional removal is not really the equipment. It’s the assessment and the knowledge of the ears.
Removing ear wax without knowing what’s happening in the ears is a guessing game that can lead to more problems if something goes wrong. A professional appointment removes that guesswork. An Ear health check is done first, the correct technique is chosen for that specific ear and if something other than wax turns out be in the ear that can be picked up straight away.
If your ears have been feeling blocked, muffled or uncomfortable then its worth getting them checked out properly rather than guessing and using home remedies that might make things worse.
Get in touch today to book an appointment. Home visits are available across all of Stoke-on-Trent and the surround areas if getting out to a clinic isn’t easier or you want the convivence of me coming to you.