In most cases, after 14 days, the wax will have softened sufficiently to encourage the wax to come out without further intervention. However, if you feel your hearing is still impaired, please make an appointment with the practice nurse for further advice and management. Alternatively there are now available kits over-the-counter from pharmacies.
These contain a wax softener which you use for days and a small bulb syringe to enable you to remove the wax from your ear canals yourself. Back to Health A to Z.
Earwax normally just falls out on its own. When it's blocking your ears, a pharmacist can help. Do not use your fingers or any objects like cotton buds to remove earwax. This will push it in and make it worse. Earwax usually falls out on its own. If it does not and blocks your ear, put 2 to 3 drops of medical grade olive or almond oil in your ear 3 to 4 times a day. Share on twitter. Share on linkedin.
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You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Necessary Necessary. Functional Functional. Performance Performance. Ear irrigation is a routine procedure used to remove excess earwax, or cerumen, and foreign materials from the ear.
The ear naturally secretes wax to protect and lubricate the ear as well as to keep debris out and hinder bacterial growth. Under normal conditions, the body keeps the amount of earwax in the ears under control. Too much earwax or hardened earwax can cause a blockage in the ear, resulting in earaches, ringing in the ears, or temporary hearing loss. The ear, especially the canal and eardrum, is very sensitive. Earwax buildup can cause damage to these structures over time.
This can affect your hearing. Removing excess earwax with ear irrigation is a safe way to minimize the risk of damage to the ear. Sometimes foreign materials like food, insects, or small stones can get into the ear. In these cases, the goal is to safely and quickly remove the items before they move deeper into the ear or do damage to the delicate canal. Ear irrigation can be effective in removing foreign materials from the ear. Earwax irrigation can be done by your doctor or at home using an irrigation kit that includes a bulb syringe.
Before your doctor performs an ear irrigation, they will want to look inside your ear to ensure that your symptoms are the result of excess wax buildup or foreign materials and not something more serious.
Your doctor may diagnose excess earwax by inserting an instrument called an otoscope into the opening of your ear. The otoscope shines a light into your ear and magnifies the image. If wax buildup is the issue, your doctor will perform the irrigation in their office using a syringe-like tool.
This tool will be used to insert water or a water and saline mixture into the ear to flush out the wax. You may feel slight discomfort from the water in your ear or from holding your ear in place.
For at-home irrigation, you will need to purchase the items to safely clean wax from your ears. The most common method is to use a dropper to insert baby oil, mineral oil, or specialized medication into the ear to soften the wax.
The process is as follows:. You also should not get ear irrigation if you have an active infection in your ear canal. While ear irrigation is a relatively common procedure, there are risks associated with it:. Otitis externa is a common complication.
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