by David Blair

Created on: May 14, 2009

Earwax can be disgusting, but we all have it. Some of us are just blessed with more of it than others and getting rid of it can be hard sometimes. During a recent ear wax adventure that led me eventually to an audiologist to get the wax manually vacuumed out, I did a lot of reading on the subject of earwax removal and I'd like to share some things I learned in the hopes that they could be of benefit to others.

Before I get into removal tips, some ear wax is a good thing. It's certainly not necessary or even healthy to totally get rid of it all. Among other things, it helps to keep water from settling in the ears and causing an infection that can harm the eardrum. However an excess of earwax can stop-up the ear canal, causing diminished hearing and eventually can even damage the drum if enough gets packed in there. These tips are to avoid such a problem.

Avoid using q-tips in the ears. The doctors I've talked with don't recommend them. They may be good to clean the outer ear, but nothing else. When used in the ear canal, one risks poking the eardrum or pushing earwax deeper into the middle ear area, making it even harder to reach and remove.

When taking a shower, tilt the ear into the warm water and allow it to flush into the canal. Do this on both sides thoroughly. If the water has a lot of pressure to it, shooting it straight into the ear might not be wise though - so be careful. The ear canal is curved and a direct hit to the drum isn't likely, but it still good to be cautious.

Ear candles don't work. They don't pull wax up out of the ear. That stuff that accumulates in the bottom of the candle after a burning - that stuff that looks like earwax - apparently accumulates there anyway even if it is burned outside of the ear. Using these can even hurt the ear as hot candle wax and burning debris can possibly fall down the candle into the ear. And like q-tips, inserting the ear candle into the ear can push wax deeper into the canal.

A good method to remove excess wax is through the use of a liquid earwax removal aid, a rubber bulb ear syringe and warm water. The liquid removal aid can be found at pharmacies (among other places - the same is true of the rubber bulb) and is meant to help break up or loosen earwax that can be flushed out with the bulb filled with warm water. A small amount of the liquid is placed in the ear and the head should be tilted to keep the liquid in the ear for several minutes. After which, turn the ear over a sink and gently flush warm water into the ear via the bulb to wash out loosened wax. Note: as the liquid is probably at a lower temperature than the inner ear, it can feel strange if it makes contact with the drum - at least it does for me.

I have heard about a number of other things that can be used to help remove earwax. They include putting oil or peroxide or vinegar into the ear. I have never personally tried any of these and can't really vouch for their effectiveness. I have found that the liquid removal aid and bulb is fairly reliable for removing excess earwax. If, however, the wax is especially excessive, has plugged up the canal and is beyond the removal aids abilities to loosen, then go to an ear specialist.

Sources:

http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-ear-wax.htm

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