When excess wax builds up in the ear, it can cause a feeling of fullness in the ear, partial hearing loss and even earache, reports the National Institutes of Health's MedlinePlus. Inserting a cotton swab into the ear often makes things worse by stimulating ear wax production, and it also has the potential to injure the ear drum. To safely remove ear wax, individuals can follow a simple process to both eliminate the wax and keep ears healthy.
Step 1
Tilt your head to the side and apply three to four drops of ear wax softener into the ear you wish to clean using an eyedropper. You have the option to purchase commercial products specially designed for this purpose, although baby oil, mineral oil and hydrogen peroxides are household items safe to use to soften ear wax, according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 2
Leave the softener in your ear by covering the outer ear cavity with a cotton ball. With commercial ear drops, you may only need to wait several minutes for the solution to soften or "melt" the ear wax. Depending on the severity of ear wax blockage, you can leave baby oil, mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide in the ear for several hours or even a day or two.
Step 3
Fill an ear bulb syringe with warm water. Do this by squeezing the bulb and allowing the bulb to fill like a vacuum over a source of clean, warm water. Ear bulb syringes are available at most pharmacies as well as in personal care aisles in many retail stores.
Step 4
Remove the cotton ball from the treated ear. Flush out the excess wax by tilting the ear downward over a sink and gently squeezing warm water into your ear using the ear bulb syringe. Softened ear wax will rinse out of your ear.
Step 5
Dry your ear by gently patting it with a towel. Using a hand-held hair dryer set to low strength and low heat, direct air into your ear canal to help dry the interior. Now that your ear is dry and safely free of ear wax, you can repeat the wax removal process for your other ear if necessary.
Tips and Warnings
- You can repeat this ear wax removal process as many times as needed to clear out your ears.
- If you are experiencing chronic earaches before or after removing ear wax, contact your physician to set up an appointment.
Things You'll Need
- Ear bulb syringe
- Eye dropper
- Cotton balls
- Commercial ear drops
- Mineral oil or baby oil
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Towel
- Hair dryer
