For most people, removing earwax is as simple as wiping the sticky yellow substance from the opening of the ear canal. However, in certain cases, your earwax may collect in your ear canal, creating a difficult-to-remove blockage. A familiarity with various earwax removal solutions can help you attempt to remove compacted earwax on your own, as well as know when to go to your doctor for assistance.
The Facts
Built-up earwax occurs on a regular basis in both adults and children. The American Academy of Family Physicians points out that this irksome health condition develops most often in the elderly and special needs populations, often as a result of inserting external devices, such as ear plugs and hearing aids, into the ear canal. In many cases, improper earwax removal methods, specifically using sharp or pointed objects, such as cotton swabs, hair pins and pen caps, to dig wax from deep in the ear canal, may actually create or worsen a wax compaction. According to the AAFP, various signs that you may have an earwax buildup include loss of hearing, ringing in the ears, ear pain and dizziness.
Types
Earwax removal solutions include home remedies and physician removal. Home remedies involve the application of liquid drops, such as mineral oil, baby oil, hydrogen peroxide or almond oil, into your ear canal to soften the wax or attempting to dislodge the wax with water irrigation. Physicians get rid of built-up earwax using cerumenolytics or wax-softening drops, irrigation, and manual removal with suction or specialized instruments.
Considerations
According to MedlinePlus, you should be able to treat most instances of compacted earwax effectively with home remedies. Depending upon the severity of the impaction, you or your doctor may need to use only one removal method or a combination of methods to successfully extract the wax chunk. Although doctors typically remove wax chunks in a single office visit, more severe cases of compacted wax may require multiple days of treatment if you opt for a home remedy.
Method
As a general rule of thumb, you should apply several drops of your chosen cerumenolytic directly in the ear canal of the affected ear once or twice daily for up to three or four days. If you opt to use hydrogen peroxide, fill the ear canal completely with the liquid approximately 20 to 30 minutes before irrigating the affected ear, as recommended by the AAFP. Use a bulb syringe to irrigate the affected ear, minimizing potential side effects such as dizziness by using body-temperature water during irrigation.
Warning
Never attempt to remove compacted earwax at home if you may have a ruptured eardrum, as doing so could lead to possible complications, including ear infections and loss of hearing. According to MayoClinic.com, possible signs of a perforated eardrum include sudden or sharp ear pain, ear drainage, nausea and vomiting. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery states that manual removal by a physician is the preferred earwax removal solution if you have certain other risk factors, including ear tubes, narrow ear canals or diabetes.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Cerumen Impaction; Daniel F. McCarterk, MD, et al.; May 2007
- "Ballenger's Otorhinolaryngology"; Dr. James B. Snow & Dr. Phillip A. Wackym; 2009
- MedlinePlus: Wax Blockage
- MayoClinic.com: Ruptured Eardrum
- American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: Earwax
