Question 1

What are the symptoms of excessive ear wax?

Accepted Answer

People suffering from excessive ear wax usually report at least one of the following symptoms:

Reduced hearing
A feeling of fullness
Tinnitus

Pain can also be felt if the blockage is compacted enough to be pressing against the ear drum.

Question 2

What are the solutions?

Accepted Answer

Once a blockage has occurred, the only effective solutions are microsuction and irrigation (syringing).

Question 3

Why microsuction?

Accepted Answer

Irrigation pushes water into the ear in order to push the ear wax out.

This puts pressure on the very delicate ear drum, potentially damaging it. This risk is increased further if the ear drum has been weakened by past perforations.

Irrigation also leaves some water in the ear which increases the risk of infection.

None of these risks are applicable to microsuction because it is a dry procedure that sucks the ear wax out.

Question 4

Can you remove my child's wax?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, we cannot perform microsuction on anyone under the age of 18.

Question 5

Why should I use olive oil ear drops?

Accepted Answer

The older ear wax gets, the tougher it can get. Olive oil penetrates tough old ear wax and softens it, making the procedure easier to complete.

Since the ear canal is quite sensitive, an easier procedure is a more pleasant one.

You may feel like the blockage has worsened after using olive oil, this is a good sign as it means the compacted ear wax is expanding and softening.

Question 6

What should I avoid?

Accepted Answer

Always avoid getting water into your ears, this is the largest risk factor for an ear infection.

Avoid using cotton buds inside the ear canal. A small amount of ear wax may stick to the cotton bud, but only if the wax is sticky. The majority however will be pushed deeper into the ear, worsening your condition. Even more seriously, a cotton bud can easily perforate an ear drum if used carelessly.