In most cases, earwax is helpful. It’s a good moisturizer, it stops dirt and dust from going too far down your ear canal to your eardrum, and it prevents bacterial and fungal infections in your ear.
But sometimes earwax is challenging – it builds up too much and starts affecting your hearing, makes you feel dizzy, and/or gives you headaches or earaches.
There are a few reasons as to why earwax builds up too much and gets impacted, but what we’ve found is that most impactions are caused by people using cotton swabs. They think they’re cleaning out the earwax when, in reality, they are pushing it farther down their ear canal with possibly damaging consequences.
We’ve heard it all when it comes to well-meaning friends’ advice on how to clean out earwax, but much of the advice is wrong or even dangerous. The safest way is to have an audiologist or health professional remove it.
You might assume you have a hearing loss, but the true cause is a buildup of earwax. Seeing us could save you time and money – there’s no need to buy hearing aids when your ear canal is just blocked by something that can be easily removed.
Additionally, the clogged feeling might come from something more serious such as an infection or a growth. Only a professional will be able to diagnose you properly.
Myths About Earwax Removal Solutions
No matter what you’ve been told, please call us before trying any of the following methods of getting rid of your earwax! We’re happy to recommend what is safe and works well.
- You can remove it with ear drops – Over-the-counter ear drops can help soften the earwax so that it comes loose. Choose from various softening solutions – glycerin, saline, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, or sodium bicarbonate.
- This can be a good option for a small amount of earwax or a good first step to see if it works, but if you can feel the clog of earwax in your ear, this likely won’t be enough to clear it.
- You can use ear candles – These are 10-inch, hollow, cone-shaped bits of cotton soaked in beeswax or paraffin that you insert into the ear through a foil or paper plate. The foil or plate is supposed to catch the hot wax.
– The open end is lit and burns for up to 15 minutes. The heat is thought to create a vacuum that pulls your earwax into the coned, waxed cotton.
– The FDA says this practice is dangerous and ineffective, with many reports of facial burns, ear injuries, burst eardrums, ear bleeding, and even accidental fires. - You can remove the wax with a cotton swab – Please don’t do this! There’s even a warning on all boxes of cotton swabs specifically saying not to put one into the ear canal, as it might cause injury and even rupture your eardrum.
- You can use olive or mineral oil – This can be effective in softening your earwax. Use a dropper and drop two or three drops into your ear canal twice a day for a week or two. This approach takes time.
- Be forewarned: Some people are allergic to olive oil, and their ears flare up or they unwittingly send the oil toward a ruptured eardrum, causing a lot of unnecessary pain.
Holland Hearing’s Earwax Removal Process
- Welcome – We’ll welcome you and make sure you’re comfortable. We’re well known for our friendliness, competence, and caring approach.
- Talk – We’ll talk with you about your concerns, anything you’ve noticed related to your hearing, and ask questions about any challenges you’ve noted.
- Visual Inspection – We’ll see what’s going on inside your ear canal with a video horoscope. The value of using this rather than a regular otoscope is that you’ll also see what’s in there on a video screen.
- Earwax Removal – We’ll use irrigation and manual removal tools to remove your earwax. We’ll use an irrigation system with warm water for the irrigation and/or a curette if we need to carefully scoop out wax that’s hard to reach.
- That Great Feeling – When your ear canals are cleared, you’ll feel like they’ve finally readjusted to your environment. You’ll probably notice sounds being less dull too.
Ready To Check For Earwax Buildup?
If you’re worried about your hearing, or you think you might have a buildup of earwax, then contact us. We’re ready to help and answer any questions you might have.
Our team at Holland Hearing Center is trained in the safe, correct methods of earwax removal, and you can leave our office with your ears free and clear of buildup.
If earwax buildup keeps happening, we also offer at-home earwax removal aids such as Debrox and Audiologist’s Choice, or you can continue our services on a more regular basis through a customized treatment plan.
A hearing assessment will immediately let you know if you have any hearing loss that’s not caused by earwax buildup. Book a hearing test with us to know for sure so we can ensure your hearing health is properly cared for.
To schedule your comprehensive hearing assessment, you can complete the form on this page, or you can call us at (325) 437-4730.
