Earwax is a natural wax produced by the ears that acts as an antibacterial agent in the ear canal and prevents dirt and debris from reaching the eardrum.
Most people have the right amount of earwax, but some can experience an excessive buildup of it, which can cause problems.
Can You Have Too Much Earwax?
Yes, some people can have too much earwax, but the ironic thing is that the more you clean it out, the more of it your ears are stimulated to produce.
This is the body’s natural reaction to ensure the ears remain protected.
What Causes Clogged Ears?
Someone might be experiencing clogged ears because they have pushed earwax down too far with Q-tips. Another reason for a clogged-up feeling could be straight after swimming – when there’s still water in the ear canal.
The best step to determine why your ears are clogged is by scheduling an assessment with a professional audiologist.
Can Excessive Earwax Cause Temporary Hearing Loss?
Yes, excessive earwax can cause temporary hearing loss. If you think about it, you’ve got a blockage in your ear canal that is in the way of sound vibrations, and it’s stopping the sound waves from reaching your eardrum and then your auditory system.
Other things a buildup of earwax can cause are balance issues, headaches, and a clogged-up feeling in your ears.
Should You Attempt to Remove Earwax at Home?
It is possible to remove earwax at home. There are some good, natural methods that work such as over-the-counter ear drops and certain oils. These can soften the earwax to the point where it might fall out itself.
With ear drops, olive oil, or mineral oil, even softening the earwax might not be enough to encourage it to fall out, as it might already be too impacted and require professional removal.
Put in a drop or two once or twice a day for a few days to a week to see if it works.
If you have a ruptured eardrum or ear infection, do not use ear drops! You could cause irreparable damage.
There are other safe ways to remove earwax other than with ear drops such as drops of a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution or of a saline solution – half a teaspoon of salt to half a cup of warm water.
There are other ways of cleaning out the earwax that I do not recommend at all, as they’re very dangerous, such as earwax candle removal, which has no evidence it works and has caused burning and even house fires.
Are Q-tips Safe for Removing Earwax?
No, never use Q-tips for removing earwax. Inserting anything into the ear canal is dangerous. It even says on the box that it’s dangerous to use them in the ear canal and they should never be used for that purpose.
The reason why is because the minute you put a Q-tip in your ear, it pushes the earwax farther down your ear canal, with some people pushing it down so far that it becomes impacted or, worse still, bursts the eardrum.
What Happens at an Earwax Removal Appointment?
At an earwax removal appointment with an audiologist, you can be sure that the removal will be done safely and professionally.
- The first thing I’ll do is look in your ear with an otoscope to see how much earwax is there and how impacted it looks.
- Then there are two methods of removing the earwax that I might try.
- One is using a syringe full of warm water. The mild pressure will push water around the earwax and work it out of the ear in a clean, safe way.
- The second way to remove your wax is by scooping it out with a curette. This can be slightly ticklish, but it reaches the wax in harder to reach parts of your ear canal.
Do You Need to Prepare for an Earwax Removal Appointment?
There is no need to prepare for an earwax removal appointment, but it can be good to sometimes soften the earwax with a few drops of mineral oil or olive oil each day leading up to the appointment.
Where Can You Get Your Earwax Removed?
If you’re looking for earwax removal, I would suggest making an appointment for a professional earwax removal so that you can be guaranteed that all the earwax is removed and that it’s done safely.
Simply book your appointment here, or call us at (360) 464-9780 and talk to one of our team to have any further questions answered.
I look forward to helping your ears feel unclogged and making the sounds around you less muffled.
