One simple tip to help you prepare for ear wax removal

Published 09 September 2019  | Updated 27 February 2024  | 3 mins read

An ear doctor removing wax from a patient's ear.

While ear wax might not be top of your list of conversation topics for your next dinner party, it’s definitely something you need to think about. Ear wax is natural and helps keep our ears clean – but an excessive build-up can cause a blockage and make it difficult to hear properly.

If you think ear wax might be causing you problems with your hearing, come in and visit us for an ear wax removal appointment.

What is ear wax?

Ear wax, or cerumen, is a natural secretion from glands inside your ear that help to keep the ear canal clean and protect it from bacteria.

It might sound a bit gross, especially since it’s combined with dead skin cells and dust particles, but it means we each have something quite clever: self-cleaning ears – yay!

Symptoms of ear wax build-up

If you experience one or more of these symptoms you may have a build-up of ear wax that has caused a blockage:

  • Itchiness
  • Ringing in the ear
  • Pain
  • Partial or total loss of hearing

So, if you feel like your ears might be a little clogged up – book an ear cleaning appointment with us online or at your local THCP practice, you will receive a free hearing check along with your ear wax removal.

How to remove ear wax

The most common reason for developing the above symptoms is down to the use of cotton buds or other DIY ear cleaning methods. These are actually damaging as it can push the wax further down into the ear canal.

So, our tip is to let the professionals take care of it for you. If you want to soften up your ear wax before your appointment, you could try applying a few drops of olive oil into each ear – but make sure you speak to your audiologist about this first to ensure it’s safe for your specific ear condition.

The Hearing Care Partnership’s methods

At THCP, we only offer the most up-to-date and effective treatments to clean your ears from excess wax.

Manual removal

If you have only a small amount of ear wax near the entrance of your ear canal, our expert audiologists can manually remove the wax using a special tool called a Jobson Horne.

Microsuction

Your audiologist will insert a very thin tube into your ear canal which is connected to a vacuum unit. This will gently suck out any wax and other debris from your ear.

Water irrigation

An updated, safer and gentler version of the traditional ‘ear syringing’ method, water irrigation flushes your ear canal with warm water, dislodging any wax or debris that has built up.

Here’s some feedback on our Ear Wax Removal treatment:

Practice: Flitwick

Audiologist: Sylvia Kewish (FDSc)

“The reception staff were very good and reasonable, Sylvia was extremely professional, a good conversationalist and explained everything clearly. I got my ears cleared in no time!”

R. Fullbrook

When you come in for your appointment, you will have a consultation with one of our qualified audiologists to determine the best method for your needs.

If you haven’t booked an appointment already, go online or come into your local THCP practice today and we’ll advise you on the best treatment option.