Ear Wax Removal
Earwax (cerumen) coats and protects the inside of your ears; it does not usually need to be removed. Removal is only necessary when you develop large amounts of earwax, which make your ears feel blocked. Too much earwax can develop due to a very narrow or abnormally shaped ear canal, frequent use of earplugs, cleaning ears with cotton buds or for other unknown reasons. Often home treatment can remove earwax. If home treatment does not work, you should make an appointment to see a qualified professional.
Ear Wax Removal
Earwax (cerumen) coats and protects the inside of your ears; it does not usually need to be removed. Removal is only necessary when you develop large amounts of earwax, which make your ears feel blocked. Too much earwax can develop due to a very narrow or abnormally shaped ear canal, frequent use of earplugs, cleaning ears with cotton buds or for other unknown reasons. Often home treatment can remove earwax. If home treatment does not work, you should make an appointment to see a qualified professional.
Ear wax is only a problem when there’s too much
Ear wax is not actually a bad thing, in fact it is a protection mechanism for the ear canal. The issue only occurs when there is too much. As the ear wax builds up, it blocks the canal causing some issues with hearing. If the ear wax becomes impacted against the ear drum, it can even be painful. Typically, the first time many realise they have a problem is when they have a shower or get out of a swimming pool. Suddenly, they can’t hear out of one or both ears.
This is because ear wax is like a sponge, it soaks up the water and expands within the ear canal, completely blocking it.
Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?
- A feeling of fullness in the ear
- The sensation of hearing everything muffled
- Mild tinnitus
- Sudden hearing loss after swimming or showering.
You should have ear wax removed professionally
It is not advised that wax is cleared by the use of cotton buds, as this very often pushes it towards the ear drum and can cause even more problems and it is difficult to remove. You should never poke anything down your ear with the view of relieving the problem yourself; the lining of the ear is very delicate and can easily be damaged. There are home removal kits available, however these need to be used carefully. Hopi ear candles just don’t work, it is a sham. Leave it to one of our registered clinical specialists to remove the wax for you.
Types of Ear Wax Removal
Our staff are fully professionally trained and uniquely positioned to offer the complete range of wax removal techniques – to be sure you’ll receive the best treatment for you. unlike many other
Irrigation
We offer a safe and gentle ear wax removal service by our professional clinical wax care specialists. We use the irrigation method for people who are more comfortable with it. We use a spray type ear wash machine, which is commonly used in the medical setting. The irrigation solution is carefully warmed to body temperature, as dizziness can be a common side effect of ear washing or syringing with solutions that are colder or warmer than body temperature. Any other temperature may cause temporary vertigo.
We use the spray type ear washer to gently stream water into the ear. Irrigation may need to be repeated a couple of times. When the wax has been removed we use a special mopping apparatus to dry out the ear canal.
Microsuction
In addition to our established water irrigation method for ear wax removal we also provide a microsuction option to remove excess earwax. We will be happy to advise on which method will be most suitable for you and we will fully explain the pros and cons. Procedures are only carried out with your consent.
This process uses a fine tube connected to a suction machine and does not require water to remove the wax. The procedure is safe, comfortable and painless. We view your ear canal with the aid of a microscope which allows us to see exactly what we are doing at all times. This removal process is very thorough and is particularly suitable for smaller ear canals and for those who may have suffered problems with their ears such as ear drum perforation.
Manual extraction
The process is pretty straight forward. We will examine your ears to confirm that there is earwax present. We will then explain the procedure in detail so that you understand what will take place. You will be asked a few questions about your ear health, perforations of the eardrum and any previous experience you have had with the procedure. The earwax will be removed using the Microsuction tube. This process can take from 5 to 20 minutes depending on the amount and position of the wax. Once the earwax is removed we will again check the ear canal to make sure it is clear and healthy.
Our Ear Wax Removal Clinics
Chepstow
Cirencester
Clevedon
Droitwich
Drybrook
Gloucester (Kingsway)
Shaftesbury
Sturminster Newton
Swindon
Also available at all Imperial Hearing Clinics
Bristol
Calne
Cheltenham
Chipping Sodbury
Christchurch
Cowbridge
Kingsbridge
Leamington Spa
Malmesbury
Moreton-in-Marsh
Newport
Poole
Poundbury
Taunton
Tewkesbury
Totnes
Verwood
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If you think you are having problems with your hearing, but you’re not sure if you need a hearing aid, you’ve come to the right place! We offer a no obligation hearing test.
Book for Ear Wax Removal
We will assess each ear and explain to you the options for the most effective ear wax removal process, if wax has been identified.