5 Tips to Safely Remove Earwax

The AAO-HNS suggests that hearing aid users get their ear canals examined for impacted ear wax every three to six months. If you have issues with ear wax buildup, here are five safe tips:

1. Use eardrops from the drugstore. Ear drops that are sold over-the-counter (OTC) are available as oil or water-based. These drops may soften earwax and make it easier for the wax to slide out of the ear by itself.     
2. Gently flush the earwax out. You flush it out with liquid by using an irrigation kit. These kits are sold OTC. They come with a bulb syringe or another type of ear syringe, and ear drops. Talk to your hearing health care provider before you use any OTC techniques, especially if you have had surgery on your ears or punctured eardrums.  
3. Do not insert cotton swabs, hair pins, paper clips, or any other foreign objects into your ear canals. These may cause severe damage to your ears, including punctured eardrums. Using these objects can actually push earwax deeper into your ears. When the wax gets trapped, it prevents the eardrum from being able to move. This interferes with the natural flow of sounds that travel through the ear, which leads to temporary loss of hearing.   
4. Do not engage in ear candling. This requires the insertion of a long, hollow tube, that is made out of fabric drenched in beeswax or paraffin, into the ear, and then igniting the other end of it. This purportedly creates a suction through the tube, and extracts earwax. Studies have shown the wax that is extracted only ends up as melted wax from the candle. There is also the high probability of burning yourself with the lit candle. Because of these risks, the FDA warned the public about using ear candles.
5. Recognize when to get help. If you have tried eardrops and/or irrigation, but the itchiness, pain, or feelings of fullness in your ears, or you have tinnitus or muffled hearing, contact your hearing healthcare provider.  

​If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss due to using any of these techniques to remove earwax, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. 

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