Earwax Removal
Ear wax or cerumen is a substance made by our ears to help protect and clean them. It helps prevent dirt, dust and other material from getting deeper into the ear canal and also has antimicrobial properties to help prevent infections. The ear canal has a natural cycle of producing the wax and also pushing the wax out of the ear canal where it dries and flakes off or is washed away when we bathe.
Occasionally ear wax can partially or completely occlude the ear canal. This is known as wax impaction. When this occurs patients may experience symptoms of pain, ear fullness, itchiness, tinnitus, hearing loss, odor, drainage, or change in hearing aid function. Wax impaction can occur in patients who overproduce wax or if the natural cleaning process is disrupted. Wax can also become impacted by attempted self-cleaning with objects such as Q-tips or in patients who wear hearing aids or ear plugs. Attempts to self clean the ear canal can be problematic because although a small portion of wax may be cleaned out more wax is ultimately pushed deeper into the canal where it cannot be removed naturally.
Ear wax can be removed in a variety of ways. At ENT Northwest this is done safely under direct visualization with a microscope using a small suction device or curette. For patients requiring frequent ear cleanings, use of mineral oil can be helpful to keep the wax soft which can allow the ear to clean the wax naturally and decrease the frequency of ear cleanings in the office. Apply several drops into the ear canal with a medicine dropper a few times per month.
Call ENT Northwest for more information and to schedule an appointment.
