Earwax, which is secreted by glands within your ear canals, helps trap dust and other foreign particles that could damage inner structures of your ear, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although insufficient earwax puts you at greater risk of ear damage, too much earwax can cause infections, earaches and hearing problems, according to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. You may be tempted to try a quick earwax removal method, but your sensitive inner ear requires a more delicate procedure.
Signs and Symptoms of Blockage
You may have an earwax blockage if: you are experiencing a clogged feeling in your ear, you have an earache, you're having some trouble hearing, you hear noises such as ringing in your ear, you've been coughing, your ear itches and you or someone around you has noticed discharge or odor emanating from that ear, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery.
Warning
You shouldn't consider removing earwax unless enough accumulates to cause the signs and symptoms mentioned above, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. Once you've assessed that you need to clean your ear, never use thin objects such as cotton swabs, hair pins or paper clips to remove earwax. Doing so may cause wax to imbed farther into your ear and can cause damage to your ear canal lining and your eardrum, states the Mayo Clinic.
Home Removal
Consult your doctor if you need to remove earwax and you believe you have a hole in your ear drum. Drops and other ear cleaning products can be painful and cause an infection. If your ears are otherwise fine, begin the cleaning process by using an eyedropper to place a few drops of glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil or baby oil in your ear canal two times a day for four to five days, states the Mayo Clinic. This process will help soften your earwax for stage two, wherein you will use a rubber-bulb syringe to squirt warm water into your ear with your head tilted and your outer ear pulled up and back. Afterward, tip your head sideways so that the water can drain out of your treated ear. Gently dry your outer ear with a towel. The Mayo Clinic suggests that you may have to repeat this process multiple times before the earwax falls out of your ear.
Home Kits
Over-the-counter ear drops come in two forms: water-based drops, which contain ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide and sodium bicarbonate, and oil-based products, which lubricate and soften the earwax, states Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. Some over-the-counter drops work without any necessity for a bulb syringe full of water but this isn't always the case.
Medical Treatment
If your home cleaning treatment hasn't been effective or if it has caused your ear wax to lodge deeper into your ear canal, see your doctor. She may wash or vacuum out the wax or prescribe drops, says the American Academy of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. In some cases, she may need to use a microscopic instrument and a small, curved tool called a curette to remove the ear wax.
