Consensus on Safest Way of Earwax Removal?

Hi all,

I'm headed to the ENT on Tuesday to get earwax removed.

I searched for threads on this topic and found contradictory advice. Is there a consensus on the safest way of removal (manual scraping, syringing, or microsuction)? Also, should I use eardrops before, and if so, which type (the pharmacy offered salt water and hydrogen peroxide, plus I have cooking-grade olive oil at home?)

Thanks!

 

You should avoid suction and use ear drops 7 days prior to wax removal. Lot of pro and con on wax removal. Personally I don't do any type of suction I think it harms the inner ear I do ear candling had done 3 times in the last 5 years no problems aafter. Just my thoughts on it
Good luck

 

Only ever have them do it manually. No ear drops where needed when 8 did this. Check with your doctor first what he says though.

 

I’d be surprised if a doctor said to me “you don’t need ear drops”. Personally, I wouldn’t trust him/her to carry out the procedure safely. Manually or not. And you’re saying there were 8 of them ! I thought the use of ear drops for a minimum of 7 days was a necessity.

 

How does ear candling actually clear ear wax, is it the heat that does something?

 

Ear candling is strongly recommended against.

 

Manual + ear drops for a week or two beforehand.

 

I don't know that the method of removal matters that much, as long as it relatively safe, there might be the chance that somehow the auditory system will go berserk for a while if you lose a lot of wax. This is just a guess, I'm not aware of any studies or research in the area. I might have syringed too aggressively, or maybe it would have happened by whatever way the impacted wax was removed. I'm going keep cleaning mine, gently, every once in a while with Debrox or Murine, to prevent buildup of wax again.

 

Hi @hans799
Please read my post below on earwax removal.

Microsuction and Irrigation.

The ear is a delicate and sophisticated organ that some people might not give much thought to, as the majority of the time it’s able to take care of itself, until something goes wrong with it.

The Pinnia collects sounds from the outside world and funnels them down the narrow passageway inside our head called the ear canal. The sounds are directed onto the eardrum which is situated in the middle ear. The ear canal is lined with wax the medical term cerumen. Small glands in the ears produces the wax and protects the skin of the canal by preventing bacteria, dirt and other foreign substances from entering. Under normal circumstances the wax passes out harmlessly but sometimes a build up can make the ears feel blocked and one might experience hearing loss, itchiness, sometimes pain and even tinnitus.

If using eardrops doesn’t clear the blockage a visit to the GP surgery for removal of the wax using irrigation might be necessary or in some cases going to an ENT clinic for microscution.

A few people have contacted me and raised concerns about irrigation and microsuction and asked whether they are safe for use on people that have tinnitus? I also had a lengthy discussion with someone in this forum last week, who’s adamant the tinnitus was made worse after having microsuction. This person had done all the right things. Applying olive oil eardrops to each ear for two weeks prior to the procedure and still ended up with problems. I therefore believe, the health professional doing the microsuction, wasn’t as skilled and adept as he or she should have been. This is unfortunate, as the person in question had no way of knowing this and is now enduring more discomfort.

The old fashioned method of ear syringing, using a metal canister filled with water and squirted into the ear under pressure, to remove earwax is no longer used. This method was rather crude and abrasive and could cause problems to the ear. Modern ear irrigation is considered gentler and a safer method. I have had this done three times at my GP surgery without problems. Prior to it being carried out I used eardrops 3 times a day for 10 days to soften the wax.

When the earwax is impacted irrigation might be unsuccessful even after using eardrops. The next step is microsuction. As the name suggests, the wax is literally sucked out using a small handheld wand with a suction tip and is considered to be the safest method of wax removal. I have also had this done three times at my hospital ENT department, which was carried out my consultant who I had every confidence in and had no problems. She is a firm believer in the use of microsuction especially for someone with tinnitus. Again, eardrops should be used for 7 to 10 days before having it done.

A word of caution. Type into any search engine and you’ll probably find a mirosuction clinic in your area, advising how safe and quick it is and that there’s no need to use eardrops to soften the wax. Others might say just use it for a couple of days or the night before coming into clinic. I strongly advise you not follow this advice. People have contacted me after having microsuction and didn’t use eardrops for 7 to 10 days and ended up with tinnitus that they didn’t have before. When they returned to the clinic to complain they were quickly shown the door.

Every medical procedure carries an element of risk, even something minor as earwax removal. It is just not ideal to go around with blocked up ears, hearing loss or experiencing increased tinnitus as a result of impacted wax. If one is paying privately, try to find a reputable clinic and use olive oil eardrops in the manner I’ve stated before having microsuction or irrigation. I also advise to use eardrops two or three times a week to keep the earwax soft so it can pass out through the ears naturally and help prevent build up.

Michael

 

Why risk having a microsuction procedure done, if one could do the cleaning manually, @Michael Leigh ?

 

My tinnitus can reach very severe levels. I have had microsuction done 3 times at hospital by my ENT doctors without any problems. I asked my consultant, who's an Audiovestibular physician, which is the safest and best way to remove impacted earwax for people with tinnitus. She said microsuction. She did not recommend manual removal and when irrigation is unsuccessful microsuction is the preferred method. My consultant is highly qualified in ENT so I trust her professional judgement. She went on to say: that olive oil eardrops should be applied to the ear, 3x a day for 7 to 10 days before the earwax is removed. Unfortunately, some people can develop tinnitus or it can be make worse for someone that already has it, when earwax is removed using: manual, ear irrigation or microsuction and eardrops are not applied in the manner described above.

Michael

 

Microsuction might remove, say, 98% of the wax, whereas one might expect to remove, say, 92% of the wax manually. Since microsuction also has nontrivial risk of forever ruining one's life, I am not sure if the small amount of wax left behind by manual cleaning is worth it.

The expert you know is being taught that microsuction is preferable to manual wax removal. This is because for some reason doctors completely ignore how the various procedures might influence tinnitus.

That might be true, but my common sense is telling me that it makes sense for the risk to be higher with microsuction. Of course, common sense is what tells me that the earth is flat...

 

That might be true, but my common sense is telling me that it makes sense for the risk to be higher with microsuction. Of course, common sense is what tells me that the earth is flat... [/QUOTE]

Common sense which is something we are all entitled to can be anything that we want it to be. My consultant is one of the top Audiovestibular physicians in the UK and has written books on disorders of the ear and auditory system. We know the ear is a very delicate organ and I've had microsuction 3 times without problems. Whilst I have experience of noise induced tinnitus, having lived with it for 21 years. In this particular area of earwax removal I trust her professional medical advice and choose microsuction to remove earwax if irrigation is unsuccessful. I wouldn't get this procedure done at a clinic advertising on the Internet, I would always get it done at a hospital outpatients department.

I also believe the earth is flat. The idea that we are all spinning on a rotating ball I believe is untrue

 

The old-fashioned method is still in use, at least in USA. I had it done on me in July, although previously I had more modern versions as I have had impacted earwax several times in the past. The method was extremely uncomfortable and worsened my tinnitus slightly, although I can't say whether or not it was a permanent worsening.

 

The old fashioned method was in use for many years and I'm sure was effective. When I first got tinnitus 21 years ago, a GP used the old fashioned method on me as I don't think the modern ear irrigation had come into use then.Because I had severe tinnitus my doctor would not let the surgery nurse do the syringing. The doctor advised me to use eardrops for 7 days. Before she started the syringing she advised me what might happen afterwards. Not to get up straight away as I might feel dizzy etc. The water felt warm as it was applied under pressure into my ear. I had no problems but as I got up I nearly collapsed as I felt drunk and very dizzy. I sat back down and after a few minutes felt okay and left the surgery.

Michael

 

Depending on how impacted it is, it may be possible for manual removal via Jobson Horne instrument under microscope. My audiologist said microsuction is very noisy and she would not use that on me. I keep an eye on wax levels using a little video otoscope I got on ebay. I have had wax removed manually twice because I have never left it until it got too bad. Nothing quieter or safer than manual removal under a skilled clinician.

 

Thank you everyone. The consensus appears to be manual removal (as opposed to syringing or microsuction), possibly with eardrops before it.

I'll also use eardrops in the future as a preventive measure - I use earplugs frequently so the wax will return. I saw olive oil mentioned many times on various threads. Is normal, cooking-grade olive oil safe to use, or do you have some sort of special pharmaceutical olive oil? (Never heard of such a thing before.)

 

I have a wax build up right now that is blocking my hearing and causing increased loudness in my T. It sucks but I am using olive oil for a few days back. Had my mom check my ear (the GP said I had no wax but that is obviously false, the first appointment I could get with an ENT was two weeks from now) and she said the wax is loosening up (after a day of use) so hopefully it can come out of itself. I honestly would rather have my mom manually scoop it out as she has cleaned my ears since I was a kid and honestly, she wouldn't even risk harming me so I trust her. I am East Asian so our wax tends to be dry and harder to get out by itself so there is a tendency to wax build up, even worse for me as I use earplugs a lot. So mine never gets sticky, last time I had a wax build up blocking my ear it was like a spiral formed earwax that was thin and long (TMI I know!) instead of a blob of hardened wax like you've seen on Youtube.

I bought over the counter olive oil that are designed for ear wax removal. I think regular olive oil and such is fine to use, but I assume it is refined a bit differently so just to be on the safe side I bought the ones that are created for ears.