Things to think about before booking ear wax removal.

Ear wax is normal, and everyone has at least some ear wax in their ears. It plays a very important role in keeping our ears clean, healthy, and protected from foreign objects. Although, too much earwax can cause problems.

There are a few things to think about before booking in for wax removal at Helix Hearing.

If your ears are feeling blocked and you have noticed your hearing is reduced, it may be an indicator that you have too much wax in the ears blocking sound getting through the ear. It is important not to try and remove the wax yourself as this can cause harm to the ear and also make it harder for your audiologist to remove. Many people make the mistake of using cotton buds! It may look like you’re removing wax from your ear when you pull it out, however, you could actually be pushing the bulk of the wax deeper and closer to your eardrum.

This causes the wax to impact and stops the body’s natural flow of removing wax out of the ear canal. You may also not have any wax in the ear and the blocked feeling could be due to another cause such as fluid in the middle ear space (middle ear effusion/middle ear infection). Helix Hearing university trained audiologists will be able to assess the health of the outer and middle ear at your appointment.

As you’ve probably seen at the chemist, there are numerous wax softening drops and/or ointments. These drops are often used prior to ear wax removal appointments. These drops can be effective, however, at times, they can actually block the ear even more and cause the wax to become too soft. Those who use syringing (flushing water into the ear canal) as a way to remove wax often request you use wax softening drops prior to the appointment.

Here at Helix Hearing, we do not use syringing. We use a procedure called microsuction (thin vacuum to gently suction wax out) and/or curettage. It is best to stop using any wax softening drops a few days prior to your appointment with Helix Hearing. We prefer the wax is left as it is and we will use softening drops throughout the appointment should we need. 

We often use Clean Ears wax removal spray and Hydrogen Peroxide 3% throughout the appointment or afterwards for maintenance cleaning. Sometimes, numerous appointments are required to remove wax from the ear. We will recommend what drops and how often to use them should you need to return for another appointment.