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    • Home
    • Ear Wax Removal
      • All about ear wax
      • Preparing for wax removal
      • Wax removal
      • Prices
    • Hearing Services
    • Ear Plugs and Protection
      • Ultimate Ear Protection
      • Sleep plugs
      • Protection for Industry
      • Musicians
      • Motor Cycling
      • Shooting
      • Swim, Sport & Exercise
      • Ear Impressions (moulds)
    • Contact Us
    • COVID-19
    • About us
    • Reviews

  • Home
  • Ear Wax Removal
  • Hearing Services
  • Ear Plugs and Protection
  • Contact Us
  • COVID-19
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  • Reviews

Ear wax removal

If a build-up of ear wax, debris or a foreign body is blocking your ear causing hearing loss, tinnitus, discomfort or dizziness we would normally recommend having it removed. 

Click here to contact us for an appointment or more information

Why have your ears cleaned professionally?

Do not mess around with your ear canal. Both it and your eardrum are extremely sensitive. If you damage either or both, there may be long-term consequences for your hearing.

 

You should not try to use a cotton bud (or any other implement) to remove earwax from your ear canal. All it will do is push the wax deeper towards the eardrum. This can cause even more problems and make it more difficult to remove.

 

Leave earwax removal to a qualified specialist who can see what he or she is doing. Professional earwax removal ensures that there is the least chance possible for something to go wrong. 


Safety is paramount and the procedure should always be comfortable and pain free and should be performed by qualified and registered experienced ear care professionals; an audiologist, nurse or medical professional who are fully trained in wax removal methods and who are registered with the HCPC, RCCP, NMC or GMC. Our clinician is registered with the HCPC.

Audiologist

Audiologist

Audiologist
Can't I just go to the doctor?

Why ear wax syringing is no longer free at most GP surgeries

People suffering from a build-up of ear wax are not necessarily entitled to have their ears syringed on the NHS in England. Removal of ear wax is no longer on the list of core services surgeries must offer.

Click below for details:

Why your GP won't syringe your ears

What happens?

  • At your consultation we will discuss your problem with you, ask some questions about your ear and hearing health, and explain the procedure. 


  • We will then examine your ear using a video otoscope so you can see for yourself how much ear wax has built up.


  • If it is necessary, we will use the appropriate method to clear the blockage. The predominant forms of ear cleaning offered are microsuction, irrigation and manual removal. 


  • The video otoscope will then be used to check the condition of your ear and show you the results.

Microsuction

What does it cost?

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Ear wax removal methods

Micro-suction

Low pressure irrigation

Low pressure irrigation

Ear care professionals will usually recommend micro suction which is the most modern, advanced, safest, and pain-free form of ear wax removal. It is carried out with a specialist medical grade vacuum pump that gently sucks the earwax out of the ear. The procedure is undertaken using a special microscope or microscope glasses called Loupes. This allows the professional to clearly see exactly what they are doing. No liquids are used during the procedure which significantly reduces the risk of damage to the eardrum and infection. The fact that we can clearly see the ear canal and more importantly exactly what we are doing, makes it the safest and most comfortable method of earwax removal.

Unlike ear syringing and ear irrigation, micro suction wax removal can be performed in people who have a perforated eardrum or grommet, mastoid cavity or cleft palate.

Low pressure irrigation

Low pressure irrigation

Low pressure irrigation

Low-pressure irrigation is often used it there is deep lying wax that cannot be removed by other methods. Ear wax removal by irrigation has all but replaced the old-fashioned technique of ear syringing (see below). It is a far safer and more effective water method of ear cleaning. The procedure is undertaken with either a manual or electronic spray type ear wash. The irrigation solution is carefully warmed to body temperature for comfort. Then the professional gently pumps water into the ear canal at a controlled and steady rate. The stream is aimed at the walls of the ear canal avoiding the ear drum. The solution breaks down and dislodges the ear wax then flushes the ear wax out of the canal where it is captured in an ear cup. 

Please note: not everyone is suitable for earwax removal by irrigation. Ear irrigation is not appropriate if you: 

  • have a perforated eardrum, or if you have had a perforation in the last 12 months. 
  • have previously had problems with irrigation, such as pain in your ear or severe vertigo. 
  • have a discharge of mucus from your ear or have had an ear infection in the preceding two months. 
  • have recurring or persistent infections of the ear canal. 
  • have had any ear surgery (apart from cases of extruded grommets which had come out at least 18 months beforehand) or had a middle ear infection (otitis media) in the past six weeks. 

Manual removal

Low pressure irrigation

Manual removal

Manual removal of earwax is also effective. Using suction, special miniature instruments such as loops, curettes and forceps or a Jobson Horne probe, and a microscope to magnify the ear canal. Manual removal is sometimes preferred if your ear canal is narrow, the eardrum has a perforation or tube, other methods have failed, or if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system.

Side effects of wax removal

Professional ear wax removal is a safe and effective method for removing excess ear wax, but you may notice some temporary changes to your ears – especially if the wax has been building up for some time. The most common of these changes include: 


  • Your ears feel cold
  • Greater sound sensitivity
  • Dizziness and/or disorientation
  • Your ear throbbing or feeling sore
  • Tinnitus


The majority of these side effects usually pass within 24 hours as your body adjusts. If there is any throbbing or soreness, we recommend that you keep your ears dry for 24 hours. You can do this by placing a ball of cotton wool coated in Vaseline at the opening of your ear canal. Remember, though, that pushing anything further down inside your ear canal could cause damage. 

Not recommended

Cotton buds/Q-Tips

Cotton buds/Q-Tips

Cotton buds/Q-Tips

cotton buds

Also (wrongly) known as ear buds. These are a definite NO NO!

Doctors and hearing care specialists have seen many catastrophes resulting from using cotton buds. They only serve to push whatever is in your ear further down the ear canal and possibly onto the ear drum which, at best, makes an ear wax situation worse, and, could lead to an ear drum perforation and permanent hearing loss.   

It is undoubtedly satisfying to poke around your own ear with a cotton bud, but it serves no other useful purpose and should be avoided at all costs!

There are several other items that people (should not) use to clean their ears. Some of the most interesting include: 

  • Hair pins
  • Tweezers
  • Pens and pencils
  • Straws
  • Paper clips
  • Toys

While this is only a partial list, it's important to realize that NOTHING should be placed inside the ear to remove dirt and debris. 

 (Watch the video below)  

Ear candles

Cotton buds/Q-Tips

Cotton buds/Q-Tips

Candles

Often known as Hopi Candles, the basic claim is that the heat from the flame melts and loosens the ear wax and creates negative pressure that 'sucks' the wax into the candle.

Research shows the claims made for these candles are just outlandish and they have no basis in scientific fact.  

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises earwax candling has no benefit in earwax management, can result in serious injury and should never be used and the American Academy of Otolaryngology states that ear candles are not a safe option for removing ear wax and that no controlled studies or scientific evidence support their use for ear wax removal.

Ear candles are balderdash, a scam - they don't work and anyone who says they do is either self-deluded or simply looking to take your money. 

(Watch the video below) 


Syringing

Cotton buds/Q-Tips

Syringing

Syringing

Syringing as a method of wax removal is now prohibited by the current (2018) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Assessment and Management Guidelines for Hearing Loss in Adults.


Ear syringing is an old out-of-date method of removing earwax. it is no longer undertaken as the process proved to have too many problems and caused too many complications. More often than not it did not remove all of the wax.

Traditionally, a GP would refer you to a nurse to carry out the syringing treatment. A metal ear syringe was loaded with warm water which was then squirted into the ear canal and a kidney dish was held under the ear to catch the water and wax that was flushed out. The nurse would use his or her judgment as to how forcefully to syringe the water. If you have had a bad experience with syringing in the past you can be assured that microsuction and irrigation are much more comfortable. 

Warning Videos - why you should NOT use …..

..... cotton buds

..... ear candles

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