Earwax Removal, Cleaning Your Ears At Home

Foreign Objects & Your Ear Shouldn’t Mix

Ever hear the saying nothing smaller than your elbow in your ear? It is one of the famous “Old Wives’ Expressions”, and it is really good advice. Your ear, ear canal and ear drum are really amazing and sensitive pieces of your anatomy. The first rule of cleaning your ears is don’t, and we really mean don’t! go sticking things into your ear canal.

That includes, and this is not an exhaustive list because we know you are inventive, cotton buds, keys, pens, hair clips, and anything else that might look like it fits!  While you may in fact remove some earwax, the only thing you are really likely to achieve is to push the bulk of it deeper into your ear canal. If you keep doing it, it will end up against the eardrum, possibly causing irritation, temporary hearing loss, or even eardrum injury.

Like Other Things in Life, Earwax is a Good Thing, Too Much is the Problem

Ear wax is not just a good thing, it is actually essential, it contains protective, lubricating, and antibacterial properties. When you don’t produce enough earwax, you will suffer with dry and itchy ears. Over-cleaning of your ears produces the same results. So, mostly, earwax is a great thing and there is nothing for you to do other than washing your outer ear. Unfortunately though, for some people thats not the case.

Some people produce too much earwax, this excess earwax can become a blockage. In situations like these, the earwax will have to be removed. In cases like this, the way to go is to have the earwax removed by a professional. With microsuction earwax removal, we can actually see what we are doing, we are also trained to do it in a safe and comfortable manner. However, as you may know, there are kits available to do it at home. Here is what you need to know about earwax and how to remove it in a safe manner.

How Should You Clean Your Ears?

So what should you be doing to clean your ears? Normally, absolutely nothing. Your ears are quite an amazing piece of kit, they are the only part of your body that is self-cleaning. Your skin changes over time, with old skin simply being rubbed off as it comes into contact with clothes. The skin in your ear canal is different, it grows outwards from the middle of your eardrum to your outer ear. In this way the skin is constantly refreshed. Earwax is normally carried along, earwax normally moves from your ear canal to the outer ear and simply drops out. When you try to remove ear wax, more often than not you just interupt the natural process and cause a blockage, your ear continues to generate more wax and it just builds up behind the block.

Cleaning your ears at home

Do Not And We Really Really Mean It, Insert Anything in Your Ear, it is worth saying that again. You can damage the skin of the ear canal and cause an infection. Even worse you could perforate your eardrum, we are talking screaming at the top of your voice and peeling you off the ceiling pain here!. This means no cotton buds and no ridiculous ear candles. Ear candles don’t work, they are complete and utter rubbish. In 2010, the FDA (Yanks, but you got to love them) came right out and said they were dangerous.

Even worse, not just dangerous, absolutely completely useless for removing ear wax. They released a warning against using them, reporting that there was absolutely no scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness. They also warned that their use can bring about serious injuries. They have caused everything from serious burns to skin damage. All that and they don’t even remove the earwax.

To correctly clean your ears at home, take the following steps:

1. Buy some earwax softening solution at the chemist, you can make it at home but be very careful. You can find instructions for making solutions on the internet, but be very careful. The mixture often includes the use of hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, and glycerin. Hydrogen peroxide is an irritant, it is not good for your skin and especially so for the sensitive skin in your ear canal. We have heard of people who did severe damage to their eardrum with too much hydrogen peroxide. Imagine if you will it is like using drain cleaner, it will eat the drain as well if your not careful!
2. Pour the solution into your ears from the receptacle with the kit, or by using a plastic syringe or bulb syringe. If you are using a syringe, do not be tempted to squeeze the bulb hard and add too much pressure. If you squirt water into your ear canal under too much pressure, there is a strong chance that you could burst your ear drum. Tilt your head to the side and allow the solution to work for 5-10 minutes. Time to read a book, contemplate the wall, ponder the meaning of life etc.
3. Drain the solution out of your ear by tilting your head slowly over a container or the sink, then dry off the outer ear. Repeat until clean.

When You Need To Call Us

We have covered the DIY method, sometimes there are situations when DIY is most definitely not the way to go. If you have an active ear infection, or have suffered a perforated eardrum, you should not attempt to clean your ears at home. In fact, if you have a perforation, earwax removal by irrigation or syringing is not for you at all. If you have made a couple of attempts at self cleaning and you still feel blocked, it is also time to see a professional. This could signify a more extreme blockage that requires professional removal.

Whenever in doubt, leave it to us. Professional ear wax removal delivers the assurance that there will not any damage to your ears or you hearing from the process. In the case of earwax removal by microsuction, it is also easy, comfortable, instant and mess free.

If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, give us a call on 01905 617803 today!

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Endoscopic Earwax Removal, A First For Worcester

As part of our continual commitment to offering both choice to our customers and cutting edge clinical ear care services, we continually training to make our services better. We are committed to adopting new practices and services if they make sense for our customers and meet the best practice gold standard.

In line with this belief, we decided to introduce endoscopic earwax removal to our centre and we are the first in Worcester to do so. Victoria has undergone the training and become certified to offer the service. She was so impressed with it that she believes that all earwax removal should be done in this manner.

What is Endoscopic Ear Wax Removal?

Endoscopic ear wax removal is a newly introduced procedure that involves the removal of ear wax with the help of an endoscope. The endoscope is used to view the ear canal while the ear wax is being removed.

What is an Endoscope?

An endoscope is an instrument used in medical procedures to look inside the body. You may have seen one on TV during operations on medical shows. An endoscope is usually attached to a video monitor for easy viewing.

How is it performed?

The procedure is performed using a specialist endoscope.  We are using a specially designed and developed video oto-endoscope (oto means ear) for ear wax removal called the ‘iCLEARscope’. The tip of the video oto-endoscope is placed into the ear canal to provide a high-definition (HD) view of the ear canal and ear drum to allow us to remove the earwax.

What’s the advantage?

The advantage of the endoscope over any other method is that the video monitor gives a very wide and clear view of the ear canal. It is also very easy to view and allows far easier movement.

How long does it take?

The earwax removal typically takes between 15 to 30 minutes to perform. This of course can vary, there are several factors that the length of time depends on:

• the amount and type of of ear wax
• how deep the ear wax is
• the method of wax removal (manual or suction)
• whether it is being performed on  one or two ears

What are the benefits of Endoscopic Earwax Removal?

We have a full and direct view of the ear canal while the wax is being removed. The view is even better for us than the microscope. It is also easier to manipulate the suction tool or any other tool we are using. This makes the procedure quicker, safer and more comfortable. Other benefits include:

There is often no need to apply ear drops to soften the wax, which is the case with ear irrigation. However, a spray of pharmaceutical olive oil he evening before your appointment about an hour before bed, will help condition the skin and make the procedure even more comfortable

There is no liquid used, as is the case with other methods of wax removal. The procedure is performed dry which eliminates the risk of infection of the ear canal or ear drum.

Unlike wet methods of ear wax removal like irrigation, the procedure can be performed on people with perforated eardrums or grommets, mastoid cavity and cleft palate.

Exceptionally Safe

The view of the ear canal provided while we work allows us to clearly see what we are doing makes this procedure exceptionally safe. Because there are no liquids involved, it is also especially comfortable. I will be undergoing training and certification myself shortly. So if you are looking for earwax removal in Worcester or Stratford Upon Avon,

Request your Consultation Now by Ringing 01905 617803 or Simply Book it Online.

So What Exactly Happens During Microsuction Earwax Removal?

Micro Suction Earwax Removal

Microsuction earwax removal is a mainstay of the clinical ear care we offer in our hearing aid centre in Worcester and our Stratford Hearing Centre. As part of our commitment to offering cutting edge and comprehensive ear care to our Patients we felt that we needed to offer this service.

In order to offer the service we have invested in the best available clinical ear care equipment available and we designed a purpose-built suite for undertaking clinical ear care. We offer irrigation earwax removal as well, but we find that many of our customers prefer microsuction.

Why Microsuction?

We believe that microsuction is probably the safest, most comfortable method of earwax removal. No liquids are introduced during the procedure which is undertaken with a microscope and a finely balanced medical suction device. The fact that there is no liquids involved in the procedure tend to mean that it is very comfortable with the least possible mess or fuss. Using the microscope we can clearly see into the ear canal as we are working, being able to clearly see what we are doing makes the procedure exceptionally safe.

What Happens During Microsuction?

The microsuction procedure is relatively simple, you will arrive for your appointment and be booked in. At the beginning of the procedure we will ask you a series of ear health questions in order that we get a full understanding of your ear health to date. Some of these questions are designed to give us an idea about any contraindications to performing the procedure. We do this to ensure that the procedure is safe for you. There would be very few reasons why we should not be able to undertake micro-suction.

We will then view the ear canals to assess wax levels if, in fact, you do have wax we will then move onto the removal procedure proper. In some cases, people who think they have a wax problem actually don’t and the ear canals are clear. In this case, we will perform a screening test on your hearing to assess any issues. If we feel there is a problem we will ask you you wish to book in for a hearing examination proper.

Removing The Wax

The procedure itself is usually quite quick, but it depends on the amount of wax involved and its consistency. We will use a microscope and a large specula (cone-shaped implement). We place the specula in the ear in order that we can focus through it and get good access to the ear canal. We then use the suction device to remove the wax gently. Once we have finished, we will again view the ear canal to make sure it is clear. We will repeat the process on the second ear if need be.

After The Removal

After the removal procedure is finished, we will always as a courtesy undertake a screening test on your hearing. This allows us to establish some information about your ability to hear. If we see anything that may concern us, we will ask you if you wish to be booked in for a full hearing examination.

If have any questions or if you would like to book an appointment for earwax removal at our Worcester hearing centre or our Stratford hearing centre, don’t hesitate to contact us on 01905617803 or 01789 264111, alternatively book your appointment online now.

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