Earwax, also known as cerumen, protects your ears by trapping foreign particles and keeping bacteria from entering into your ears. If you have too little earwax, your ears may become dry and itchy, but having too much earwax can also be a problem. You can remedy a blocked ear canal by removing earwax with a home remedy using hydrogen peroxide.
Symptoms
If you're experiencing an earache, hearing loss, hearing noises in your ear or you feel like your ears are plugged, you may have an obstruction of the ear canal caused by wax blockage.
Cost
Compared to the cost of a doctor's visit, the supplies to remove your own excess earwax are very inexpensive. As of 2010, a 32 oz. bottle of hydrogen peroxide runs from $1 to $6, while a rubber-ball syringe costs under $5 at supermarkets, discount retailers and drug stores.
Time
Earwax removal with hydrogen peroxide may take several courses of treatment over a period of weeks. You should not add hydrogen peroxide to the ear for more than five consecutive days.
Treatment
Soften the earwax with an eyedropper and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide twice a day for several days. The earwax should be softened within one to two days, at which time you can remove it with body-temperature water. Tilt your head and squirt the water into your ear canal with a rubber-ball syringe. After irrigating, tilt your head to the ground to drain the wax. Dry your ear with a towel.
Warnings
Using hydrogen peroxide to remove your earwax can be dangerous if your eardrum has a tube or a hole in it. Irrigating a ruptured eardrum may cause an ear infection or injury to the hearing mechanisms of your inner ear, according to Medline Plus. Softening your earwax may cause the earwax to embed deeper into your ear canal, warns the Mayo Clinic.
