3 Ways an Audiologist Can Remove Earwax

Earwax is a natural, sticky substance that forms in your ears, protecting your ear canal from water, bacteria and other risks. This is extremely useful when it comes to keeping your ears safe, ensuring that they are not vulnerable to infection.

However, like everything else, too much earwax is actually a risk to your ears and can cause a number of problems that you don’t want to be dealing with such as dizziness, tinnitus and earaches. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the ways that your audiologist can safely remove the excess wax from your ears, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.

Water Irrigation

If there are large quantities of wax buildup, then your audiologist may choose to use water irrigation to clear the wax and debris out of the canal. The water should be body temperature before it is inserted into the ear, and your audiologist will use a low-pressure irrigation machine to complete the process.

During this treatment, the water goes into your ear canal and then flushes out the bits that don’t need to be there, without letting it go dry. It is vital you seek a professional for this assistance, as trying to irrigate your own ears as this can be extremely dangerous. It requires special equipment and a professional hand to ensure that this is done without damaging the ears permanently.

Manual Removal

Another option for the removal of wax is using the manual method. For this, your audiologist will use a long, thin tool but this is only going to be used if there is a small amount of easily accessible wax. If the buildup is located further into the inner ear rather than near the entrance of the canal, then this is not a suitable method as inserting the horn too far into the ear canal can be dangerous.

An audiologist can see your ear far better than you can, and knows what is dangerous, as well as what isn’t. It is not advised that you put anything into your ear canal, or you risk damaging the tiny fibers and nerves there, potentially causing hearing damage.

Micro Suction

This might sound a little scary, but it’s a quick and painless procedure for those who have a mild buildup of wax in their ears. This is generally thought to be the cleanest and safest method of extraction from ears that are not blocked deeply. It’s a small machine that is used to vacuum up the excess wax, and there’s nothing more to it.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a better understanding of three of the ways in which an audiologist can remove earwax from your ears. It’s important to remember that if you ever experience a buildup of wax, it’s best not to remove it yourself but to instead book an appointment with your audiologist. Get in touch with yours now if you need help.