Earwax Removal: Safe Methods & Professional Care

Earwax, known by the medical term cerumen, serves as a protective barrier for the ear canal, keeping bacteria, dust, and other potentially harmful particles from reaching the eardrum. But sometimes earwax can build up and create a blockage in the ear canal, requiring removal.

In this blog post, we'll break down how to determine if you need earwax removal, the methods of safely removing earwax blockages, and when to seek professional help.

How to Determine if You Need an Earwax Removal

Since earwax accumulates gradually over months or years, it can be tricky to detect until there is a very noticeable problem, which is when most patients seek help. Earwax often will not have a noticeable effect on hearing until the ear canal becomes fully blocked, where the effect on hearing becomes quite obvious.

Many patients come to us for earwax removal services when their ears become fully blocked with wax that has been accumulating for years, leaving them unable to hear properly in one or both ears. In some cases, these individuals may produce excessive earwax requiring regular earwax removal; in other instances, it is the result of an acute problem and a single earwax removal can solve the issue.

A few common symptoms you might experience if you're in need of earwax removal are:

• ● Trouble hearing
• ● Ringing in your ears
• ● A feeling of "fullness" or pressure in your ears
• ● Liquid or discharge from your ears
• ● Discomfort or soreness in your ear canal
• ● Dizziness or vertigo

We understand the acute and urgent nature of earwax blockages and we prioritize these appointments; we strive to have patients seen the same day, next day, or at the earliest availability, minimally same week. We also understand that many working professionals and families cannot take time off to be seen during traditional hours, so our experienced audiologists are now offering appointments on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings for earwax removal. Visit our website to book an appointment.

Myths About Earwax Removal Techniques

It's a common misconception that earwax removal does not require professional assistance. In fact, by DIYing your earwax removal, you could put your ears at risk of harm.

Types of Earwax

There are five different types of earwax: soft, medium, hard, dry, and skin-like earwax (as seen below).

Safe Methods of Earwax Removal

Manual earwax removal

Dry, hard, and skin-like earwax is best removed manually with an instrument called a curette.

Curette – a tool used to manually remove earwax from the ear canal.

Earwax removal using water

Soft earwax is best removed with irrigation (water). The irrigation approach involves flushing the ear canal with warm water using a special system called The Elephant Ear Washer to safely (and painlessly) remove it. The irrigation method is especially helpful if earwax is very soft or deep in the ear canal — any earwax that can't be removed with a curette can be removed with water.

** Note that if you've previously had surgery on your ears or if you have a hole in your eardrum, the irrigation method for earwax removal must not be used. **

Combined approach

A combined approach of manual removal and irrigation is often appropriate. In some infrequent instances where wax is very hard and can't be safely removed with either method, our audiologists may recommend eardrops to soften the wax for removal a few days later.

Potentially Unsafe Methods of Earwax Removal

It's important to note that in Canada and around the world, there is a lack of providers who are properly trained in earwax removal. As a result, there are limited providers offering earwax removal services. While your nurse practitioner or family doctor can help manage earwax buildup efficiently, accidents like eardrum perforation (hole in the eardrum), can occur if not managed properly.

Historically, physicians used large, stainless-steel syringes to remove earwax using the irrigation technique. While these syringes aren't widely used today, some medical clinics still use them. As experienced clinical audiologists, we've seen first-hand patients who have had their eardrums perforated by these high-pressure syringes; as such, they should be avoided.

While suction (or microsuction) is often used by experts like Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) surgeons to "debride" the ear canal and remove soft and very soft wax/discharge, if not used properly, the extremely high decibel levels it produces in the ear canal can unintentionally induce temporary or permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. Additionally, because suction can be difficult to perform safely, it is a higher risk procedure than other methods, and can often be uncomfortable for the patient.

Example of suction equipment

Prioritize Your Hearing Health: Get Safe, Professional Earwax Removal

Overall, it's important to have your ears checked if you suspect a potential earwax buildup and avoid DIY or unsafe earwax removal practices to maintain good ear and hearing health. If you're experiencing any symptoms that you believe is related to earwax buildup, it's recommended that you seek professional help immediately.