Things you (probably) didn’t know about ear wax!
When was the last time you thought about ear wax? I’d guess some time ago unless it has been a problem for you or someone you know! It tends to be when we get that feeling of blocked ears, earache, a loss of hearing, ringing in the ears or ear infections that we wonder what is happening in our ear canals and what we can do about it to get help……
So, to give a little more detail now on what ear wax is, why we have it, why it is important to us and what can be done if it is a problem for you, then please read on.
Ear wax has another name. Its medical name is ‘cerumen’.
Ear wax is not actually a wax. It gets its name from its waxy, sticky texture but is made up of sebum, skin cells, hair, sweat and dirt and is partially antibacterial.
We do need (a little!) ear wax. Ear wax is produced by the ear to clean and protect itself. It’s secreted by glands in the outer section of your ear canals. The ear wax and tiny hairs trap dust, dirt and other particles that could go deeper into your ear canal and damage your eardrum.
But you can have too much ear wax! While people with not enough ear wax can experience dry and itchy ears, too much ear wax can cause earaches, hearing loss, a sensation of fullness in the ear, tinnitus, infections and other problems.
Ear wax can change colour. The consistency of your ear wax will vary depending on your environment and diet. You may get darker wax if you work in a dirty environment. Ear wax that’s been in your ear a while tends to be darker because it’s caught more dust and dirt over time.
Nothing smaller than your elbow should go into your ear canal! Ok, a slight exaggeration (what about tiny custom-made hearing aids?!) but the overall point stands. Your ear is almost entirely self-cleaning with the ear wax naturally working its way out over time. The risk of damage to the incredibly sensitive and smallest three bones in the human body that live behind your eardrum is significant if you probe with cotton buds, match sticks, paper clips, fingers etc! You also risk pushing the ear wax deeper into your ear canal with impacted ear wax the result.
Ear wax is a common cause of hearing problems. Ear wax can create difficulties for our hearing when it starts to build up in our ears, a process known as impaction as above. The symptoms of impacted ear wax are hearing loss, earache, blocked ears, itchiness in the ear, dizziness, pain, ringing in the ear (tinnitus) and a cough. These symptoms can adversely affect your quality of life. In the UK, it is estimated that over 3 million people annually have problems with impacted ear wax.
Do not use ear candles (Hopi)! Ear candles are widely marketed as the cure for too much ear wax, but they will do more harm than good. Think about it - does burning a candle inside your ear sound like a sensible solution? No! As you would expect, when a lit flame is involved, you can end up with burns to the face, outer ear, punctured eardrums and even inner ear trauma. They can make the build-up of ear wax worse as well! Just say no.
Ear syringing is ineffective and could even permanently damage your ears. In their latest guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that ear syringing, where a large syringe is used to pump water into the ear, is potentially harmful and should no longer be used. NICE recommends that medical practitioners should instead use microsuction, irrigation or manual extraction if a wax build-up is contributing to someone's hearing loss.
So, what do you do if your ear wax is causing you problems in Somerset?
Please speak to a professional, be that your GP, Nurse or an Audiologist as they will be best placed to give you the correct clinical advice you need and the proper treatment required.
Generally, if you need your ears cleaned and excess ear wax removed, there are three recommended treatment options available:
Microsuction ear wax removal is where your clinician treating you looks at your ear using a powerful microscope. This magnifies your ear, making it easier to assess and treat, and enables your clinician to view the delicate structures within your ear canals to ensure the whole procedure is completed safely and without discomfort. A finely calibrated suction device is used to clean the ear without the introduction of any materials or use of water. The gentle suction device works similarly to a vacuum cleaner, and although it can be quite noisy, it is quick and painless. Microsuction is very well accepted by the majority of people, gives you fast results and can be much more effective than the traditional ear wax removal methods.
Irrigation is a more traditional method using water at body temperature that is gently ‘pulsed’ into the ear canal to remove the ear wax.
Manual extraction uses a variety of fine, specially designed tools to remove the ear wax safely. Your clinician can see the ear canal through the magnified loupes during this method.
At Blackdown Hearing, we are one of the only private audiology specialists in Taunton and Somerset offering a private ear wax removal service without the need for a GP referral. We are clinically trained audiologists in all aspects of ear wax removal so, if ear wax is a problem for you or someone you know then feel free to get in touch, and we can help.
