How is earwax buildup and blockage treated?

How is earwax buildup and blockage treated?

Earwax can be removed in several ways. Some of these methods can be done at home.

You can clean the outside of the ear by wiping with a cloth. Don’t wad up the cloth and push it into the ear canal.

You can use cerumenolytic solutions (solutions to dissolve wax) into the ear canal. These solutions include:

• Mineral oil.
• Baby oil.
• Glycerin.
• Hydrogen peroxide or peroxide-based ear drops (such as Debrox®).
• Saline solution.

With these solutions, you put a few drops into the affected ear with a dropper and lie on the opposite side so that the solution can drip into your affected ear. You can also soak a cotton ball and put it over the affected ear and let the solution drip into the ear.

Another option is irrigating or syringing the ear. This involves using a syringe to rinse out the ear canal with water or saline solution. Generally, this is done after the wax has been softened or dissolved by a cerumenolytic.

Finally, your healthcare provider can remove the wax manually using special instruments. The provider might use a cerumen spoon, forceps, or suction device.

Note: Your ears _should not _be irrigated if you have, or think you have, a perforation (hole) in your eardrum or if you have tubes in the affected ear(s).

How not to clean your ears

Don’t use suction devices for home use (such as Wax-Vac®). They aren’t effective for most people and aren’t recommended.

Ear candles, which are advertised as a natural method to remove earwax, are ineffective. They can also cause injuries such as burns to the external ear and ear canal and perforation of the eardrum.