ear wax removal

Your ears are a delicate sensory organ, and they require gentle care when performing any audiological procedure. When it comes to a persisting or irritable level of blockage, then you should only trust a highly qualified and experienced clinician to help - and that’s where we come in.

A person receiving ear wax removal or treatment from a healthcare professional using specialised tools and headlamp.

are your ears FEELING BLOCKED?

There are several environmental factors such as water, dust, and bacterial exposure that can trigger a build up of excess wax. Other considerations include misuse of cotton buds, genetic propensity for a hard wax consistency, narrow or bendy ear canals and age related changes to the dimensions of your ear. A buildup of earwax is the most common cause of hearing difficulties and affects most people at some point in their lives.

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a natural protective barrier produced by glands lining the ear canal. Often the volume or consistency of wax we produce can block the ear, and it’s only in these circumstances that we recommend having it removed. Doing so safely will improve your hearing, and relieve concomitant symptoms such as tinnitus or spatial disorientation.

There are two main methods of ear wax removal:

Microsuction – Used 99% of the time, this technique involves using a binocular magnifying lens to provide a clear view inside the ear, alongside a low-pressure suction device with a fine, tubular vacuum tip to gently remove wax from the ear.

Irrigation – Typically used when the wax is particularly soft or located near to the eardrum, this method involves directing water along the sides of the ear canal to create a gentle vortex that dislodges and flushes out the wax. The ears are then dried using sterile, absorbent material.

Please note:
Ear Wax Removal is charged at £60, which is the same consultation cost for one or both ears. In the event that no excess wax is present, we will perform video-otoscopy and your appointment cost will reduce to £20 (price of our ‘Ear Check-up’). Our Ear Check-up includes treatment recommendations, and further tests or onward referrals can be made if necessary. Available to patients aged 18 and over.

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  • Absolutely not - ear wax removal should be pain free. Whilst it might be quite a strange sensation if you're having it done for the first time, there should be no discomfort involved whatsoever. Your Audiologist will communicate with you throughout to make sure that everything is feeling okay.

  • When performed using the correct tools and techniques the risk of ear wax removal should be minimised. As with any medical procedure there are risks involved - in this case a very low risk - which will be discussed with you by our Audiologist during the consent form signing at the beginning of the appointment.

  • Generally speaking the ideal situation is to attend the appointment having applied only olive oil before bed for two nights leading up to the appointment date. There is such a thing as applying too many softening drops, or even drops with active ingredients that do not suit your type of ear wax / could cause irritation to the lining of your ear canal. Please feel free to discuss the recommendations which would suit you ahead of your appointment, we are happy to advise accordingly.

  • The ear is a self cleaning machine. The worst and most frequent cause of impacted ear wax is the use of cotton buds - so do not put anything deep into your ears! Secondly, it is important to keep your ears safe from water, dust and excessive noise exposure by using appropriate protection. Once your ear wax blockage has been successfully cleared with us in clinic, the best thing to do is to keep your ears dry for 24 hours and then apply olive oil once a month before bed. We recommend using Earol olive oil spray as it the most gentle and effectively penetrating solution on the market.