Range of Ear Wax Removal Services

EAR WAX REMOVAL TECHNIQUES

Ear wax removal should not be undertaken at home.  Ear wax is naturally produced to protect the external auditory meatus (the ear canal) from irritants, infection etc.

Between the outer ear and middle ear lies the tympanic membrane (ear drum).  Beyond this lie the ossicles (small bones in the middle ear). These are all important for your hearing and this is why you need an expert to remove the wax for you and not to attempt it yourself. 

If there is damage to any of these structures you can end up with more problems than you started with eg. hearing loss, balance issues, infection and tinnitus (buzzing noise in your ears). It is very hard to rectify these issues when the damage is done. Prevention is the best medicine.  

The ear and eyes are the most delicate parts of the human body exposed to the elements.

The only self management we suggest is instilling olive oil in your ear and this is only if you do not have a ruptured tympanic membrane (ear drum) or grommets.

Historically General Practitioners and later General practice nurses syringed the ears.  This method involved softening the ear wax with products such as cerumol for 1 week and flooding the ear with luke warm water to dislodge the wax.

This had inherent risks as it was not often possible to see what was present beyond the impacted wax.

Our Microsuction Ear Wax Removal Service

This is a dry and safe procedure. As opposed to other procedures this is a very precise procedure.  You will be asked to instil olive oil or ear drops/spray as advised by the pharmacist for 7 days before the procedure.  Impacted wax is often hardened and adheres to the skin of the ear.  By applying the oil this softens the wax and helps loosen it off the skin of the ear.  Hardened wax also has an irregular surface so it be can be hard to get a good grip of the wax with the suction device.  The oil smoothens the surface of the wax. All this preparatory works makes it easier for the Doctor/nurse or audiologist to remove the wax. So we cannot stress how important this is to ensure a successful first visit.

The healthcare professional will examine both ears to assess the extent of the ear wax in both ears.  A speculum is then inserted to enable us to have a clear view of the ear wax as the external ear has what we call a sigmoid shape ie it is not straight. We have to tug at your ear gently to straighten the canal.  

We use loupes which is a small magnification device to see small details more closely. The lens and bright light are essential for the procedure to go seamlessly.  

A thin metal suction tube is then inserted into the ear to extract the wax.  This is attached to a medical suction device.  Sometimes the ear wax comes out in one attempt. Other times the ear wax can take time to come out if it is severely impacted and is adhered to the skin. 

So every patient’s experience is different.  

You will hear a suction noise as the tube is inserted into your ear. You require to stay still for the procedure. However healthcare professionals are quick to adapt to any sudden movements.

As it is a dry procedure there is no unnecessary mess.

Our Irrigation Ear Wax Removal Service

The other safe way of removal is irrigation.  This is where a gentle stream of water is applied to the roof of your ear canal.

The principle behind this procedure is to soften and dislodge the ear wax with the pressure of the water. The pressure of the water is limited for obvious safety reasons. 

Microsuction ear wax removal is a far superior method of removing ear wax. Especially if it is impacted and hardened. We like to use ear wax irrigation as an adjunct to micro suction.

If however you do want to attend for irrigation please instil olive oil for 2 weeks. We will attempt to remove the wax by irrigation but It will be likely that we will need to revert to microsuction if the procedure is ineffective.

Dr Bhopal (General Practioner)

P.S. if you have any questions or feedback we would be more than happy to hear from you. We will add any common queries to our FAQs page to help other patients on there ear wax journey.

Hopi Ear Candles-are not safe

As explained before the ears and eyes are the most delicate parts of the human body exposed to the elements.

It’s worth putting in a word in about Hopi Ear Candles.  This a dangerous procedure carried out mainly in the USA as they do not offer a free healthcare service.

Unfortunately General Practices stopped offering ear wax services in the UK in Sept 2021 so patients are now exploring their options.

Since 1996 The FDA. The food and drug administration has taken action against companies promoting this. www.entnet.org. The MHRA, the United Kingdom’s regulatory authority will follow suit if these products continue to be promoted in the UK. They are not safe. They are dangerous and they are ineffective