Do You Need a Professional Ear Cleaning?

Your earwax plays a vital role in keeping your ears healthy and ensuring that the ear canal remains clean and free of debris. Earwax is something that we all need and rely on when it comes to maintaining ear health, the vast majority of the time.

Unfortunately, earwax can, on occasion, become problematic. Rather than merely performing its core role in helping the ears to stay clean, earwax can begin to build up in the ear canal to the point where it cannot be removed. Instead, the buildup continues to accumulate in size over a period of time.

What are the consequences of earwax buildup?

When earwax builds up to a significant point, it can become detrimental and lead to a number of unpleasant issues:

• Hearing loss: Earwax accumulation in the ear canal causes an obstruction that prevents sound waves from reaching the cochlea, which results in (albeit temporary) hearing loss. 
• A feeling of “fullness” in the ear: Many people who experience hearing loss describe the sensation as feeling as if their ear is “full,” which can be uncomfortable and distracting. 
• Pain: Pain in the ear canal as a result of earwax buildup is not uncommon, sometimes to the point that it becomes difficult to sleep at night. 
• Dizziness: The ears have a crucial role to play in maintaining equilibrium, and excessive earwax buildup can disrupt this and cause dizzy spells.
• Tinnitus: A person with earwax buildup may “hear” sounds that are not actually physically present – a condition known as tinnitus. Tinnitus sounds can be highly disruptive and cause issues with emotional well-being and sleep quality.

How can the above symptoms be treated?

For most people, the ears are self-cleaning, and no intervention is required. However, when earwax builds up to the point where it is causing symptoms, this buildup needs to be removed as soon as possible. The best way of achieving this goal is by having your ears professionally treated.

Ear cleaning is an aspect of health care that tends to receive a significant amount of attention. There are a number of products on sale that claim to be able to help clean earwax buildup from the canal, as well as countless “life hacks” that claim to be able to achieve the same objective. Cotton buds, for example, are often suggested as a useful way of cleaning earwax buildup from the ears.

However, DIY kits and solutions should always be avoided. Instead, anyone who is experiencing earwax buildup should always seek professional assistance from an audiologist.

Why is professional ear cleaning so important?

First and foremost, there’s the efficacy factor to consider. DIY kits and other remedies simply don’t work very well; people can spend a significant amount of time experimenting with different methods, only to find that their problematic earwax remains stubbornly in place.

Secondly, many DIY methods are expensive. While this expense may perhaps be worth sustaining if these methods are going to deliver results, as we’ve discussed, they simply don’t. As a result, people can spend a substantial amount of money trying different kits or investing in so-called “specialist” equipment in a bid to rid themselves of their earwax buildup, only to find themselves in the worst-case scenario: out of pocket, yet still experiencing issues.

However, the key reason that DIY methods and “hacks” should always be avoided is that they can do more harm than good. Inserting a cotton bud into the ear, for example, can actually cause earwax to be pushed further down the ear canal – which will worsen the problem, not improve it. The same is true of syringes and other kit supplies; the old mantra of “never insert anything into your ear that is smaller than your elbow” is always worth keeping in mind.

Worse yet, DIY kits or other methods can actually cause damage to the ear canal or eardrum, which may result in infection and similar side effects.

How does professional ear cleaning work?

Professional audiologists can remove earwax via two different methods:

• Irrigation: The audiologist uses a carbamide peroxide solution to clean earwax from the ear canal. 
• Curettage: A small tool, known as a curette, is used in combination with suction in order to remove earwax buildup.

Both of the above allow audiologists to remove earwax buildup successfully and safely.

Earwax buildup is a relatively common problem, and you have likely seen products that claim to be able to clear a buildup on store shelves. However, our ears are sensitive and prone to damage, so if you are experiencing earwax buildup, avoid DIY remedies and instead seek the advice of a professional audiologist.