The medical term for earwax is cerumen. Earwax begins as a mix of fatty secretions from the sebaceous and sweat glands within the outer ear canal. A lot of people find earwax disgusting. It’s a sticky and unsightly body fluid. However, the right amount of earwax is actually helpful for your ears and their hearing. In most cases it is the best idea to leave it alone.
A Natural Cleanser
Earwax cleans your ears as it travels from the inside ear out through the ear canal acting like a means to remove dirt, dead skin and loose hair safely out of the inner ear. Not only that but it is a natural anti-bacterial and antifungal substance, keeping your ears free to hear clean and clearly. While it may seem like a problem too have too much earwax your ears would just feel strange if you did not have enough earwax and most likely suffer from more frequent ear infections.
Excessive Earwax
While earwax is essential to the health of your ears and hearing, too much earwax can be as much of a problem. When an ear canal becomes filled with excessive earwax, earaches and infections are not too far behind. Though it may be tempting to remove the blockage yourself, the American Academy of Otolaryngology stresses that you should never try to remove an earwax blockage on your own. Because of the fragile and complex nature of the inner ear it is far too easy to injure your hearing permanently. However, there are some at home methods for removing earwax from the external region of your ear.
Avoid Cotton Swabs
Contrary to popular opinion, cotton swabs are intended only a cleaning tool for the outside part of the inner ear. Inserting cotton swabs into your inner ear canal can do more harm than good, as it tends to push earwax deeper into the ear canal rather that removing it. Over time this can cause an impaction of cerumen instead of preventing one. As a rule of thumb, unless you are a professional do not stick anything into your ear canal.
Try Using Oils
Olive oil is a common home remedy for naturally clearing an earwax blockage. For this method first warm the oil in your hands. Apply 3 or 4 drops carefully into the ear canal while tilting your head so the oil will travel down the ear canal. The purpose of the oil is to soften the earwax so it can leave the ear canal on its own. This method can be used preventively if you have struggled with earwax blockages in the past in place of cotton swabs on a weekly basis. The shower is a great time and place for this.
Massage the outside of the ear
Sometimes this is all it takes to release an earwax blockage. Massage the ear in a circular pattern softening impaction. Once you’ve massaged your ear for a little bit try pulling your earlobe backwards. This will be particularly effective in tandem with the use of oil.
Use a Warm Washcloth
By heating the blockage with a warmed washcloth often this method is enough to do the trick. Heat the washcloth in the shower or with an iron. Lie on your side placing the warm washcloth over your ear. After some time rinse your ear out in the shower. The steam of the shower will also aid in loosening a blockage.
Saline Solution
While you can purchase a solution to loosen earwax blockages you can make your own at home using a tablespoon of sea salt with a half a cup of warm water. Use a warm washcloth to let the solution slowly drip into your ear. This is another preventative measure as opposed to a solution for an acute blockage.
Use Caution with Your Ears
Any home remedy must be performed with caution. Applying a liquid if too hot to your ear damage your ear canal. If you have a serious pain do not try to clean or fix this at home. Your ears are too fragile to risk treating on your own. Contact us at Ear Nose and Throat Consultants to seek proper medical attention.
FAQs
Softening earwax: Over-the-counter ear drops or mineral oil can soften earwax, allowing it to exit the ear canal naturally. Warm water flush: A gentle flush with warm water during a shower can help remove excess earwax. Using a bulb syringe is another option to flush the ear.
What is best for earwax blockage removal? ›
Softening earwax: Over-the-counter ear drops or mineral oil can soften earwax, allowing it to exit the ear canal naturally. Warm water flush: A gentle flush with warm water during a shower can help remove excess earwax. Using a bulb syringe is another option to flush the ear.
What is the best method of earwax removal? ›
Irrigating (gently rinsing) your ear canal can reduce the risk of earwax impaction. It involves using a rubber bulb syringe to squirt water or a saline solution into the ear canal. When the water or solution drains out of the ear, it also flushes out loose ear wax.
What dissolves ear wax immediately? ›
If the aim is to completely break down the wax, waxsol, peroxide 3% or a sodium bicarbonate solution (which can be prepared by your local pharmacist) is effective.
What does an ENT do to remove ear wax? ›
Your health care provider can remove excess wax by using a small, curved tool called a curet or by using suction techniques. Your provider can also flush out the wax using a syringe filled with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide.
How do you get rid of deep ear wax blockage fast? ›
You also can try hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room temperature water. Place 2 drops of the fluid, warmed to body temperature, in the ear two times a day for up to 5 days. Once the wax is loose and soft, all that is usually needed to remove it from the ear canal is a gentle, warm shower.
What is the best oil to dissolve ear wax? ›
Mineral oil should be kept at and administered at room temperature. Instill 3-5 drops into the affected ear at bedtime. Over night the oil will turn the hard/dry wax into a liquid substance. In the morning, simply clean the outer part of the ear with a washcloth to remove the residual oil and ear wax.
How to scoop out earwax? ›
Purchase a soft rubber bulb syringe made for ear cleaning, and fill it with warm water. Tilt your head to the side with a thick towel or basin below the ear. Gently squeeze the bulb so that the warm water shoots into your ear. Allow the water to run down into the towel or basin.
How to open a blocked ear wax? ›
Ear drops:
Ear drops alone will clear a plug of earwax in most cases. Put 2 or 3 drops of ordinary olive oil down the ear 2 or 3 times a day for 2-3 weeks. This softens the wax so that it then runs out of its own accord without harming the ear. You can continue for any length of time, but 3 weeks is usually enough.
How to syringe out ear wax? ›
Hold the nozzle inside the ear canal (not too deeply) and gently squirt the water from the bulb syringe into the ear. You can gently squirt more water into the ear if needed. Leave the water in your ear for 1-3 minutes to soften the wax. Tilt your head over the sink so the water can fall out.
You can buy over-the-counter eardrops that break up earwax. The water-based ones contain ingredients such as acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. Oil-based products lubricate and soften the earwax.
How do you get rid of earwax in 30 seconds? ›
Soak a cotton ball with the hydrogen peroxide. Tilt your head and drip the peroxide into your ear. You may hear it fizz as it tries to dissolve the earwax. After about 30 seconds, drain your ear onto a washcloth.
Why did a big chunk of ear wax come out of my ear? ›
Chewing, talking and regular bathing is often enough to move earwax up and out of the ear. Usually, earwax gets rinsed away in the shower without you knowing it's happening. But it's possible – and totally normal – for earwax to come out in balls, clumps or lumps. The bigger problem is when earwax stays in your ears.
Why don t doctors remove ear wax anymore? ›
There are several reasons this service is often no longer offered in primary care, some of which are based on misunderstandings. First, manual water-filled syringes for flushing out earwax can cause high pressure of water and might damage the patient's ears – not something a GP wants to be responsible for doing.
What will an ENT do for clogged ears? ›
For a chronically blocked ear or a more severe ear infection, an ENT surgeon may need to perform surgery. This type of surgery usually involves a small incision in the eardrum in order to drain any fluid that has built up and to equalize air pressure.
What is the best ear wax removal tool? ›
The Lengin Otoscope Ear Cleaner is our best overall pick because it comes with a camera and light on the end, which makes it a safer approach.
How to open a blocked ear at home? ›
If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.
How long does it take for hydrogen peroxide to unclog ears? ›
How long does hydrogen peroxide take to soften ear wax? Lie on your side with the affected ear facing up. Stay in this position for 5-10 minutes to allow the hydrogen peroxide to penetrate and soften the earwax. Afterward, tilt your head to allow the excess solution to drain onto a tissue or cotton ball.
How to remove hair stuck on eardrum? ›
If the object is easy to see and grasp, gently remove it with tweezers. Use water. Only wash out the ear canal if you don't think there is a hole in the eardrum and no ear tubes are in place. Use a rubber-bulb syringe and warm water to wash the object out of the canal.
