Risks of at home ear wax removal

Why Not to Remove Ear Wax at Home

Earwax is natural and helpful. It plays a pivotal role in keeping us in good health. However, having too much of it could become a problem that requires removal by an ear wax removal specialist.

The wax in your ears is made by glands in the skin of your outer ear canal. Dirt, dead skin cells and bacteria get stuck in earwax.

As the earwax moves out of the ear canal, so does all the collected dirt and debris. At the opening, it’s washed away or falls out as new wax replaces it. If your ears make too much wax or if earwax isn’t cleared well enough, it may build up and block your ear canal.

Objects placed in your ear can also lead to impacted earwax, especially if done repeatedly. This is more likely in children and young people who have no other problems with their ear canals. For example, if you use cotton swabs to remove earwax, you may push the wax deeper into your canal. Over time, this may cause complete blockage. Hearing aids, swimming plugs, and swim moulds can have a similar effect with repeated use.

Earwax often doesn’t cause any symptoms, unless it builds up a lot. These are the most common symptoms of impacted earwax:

• Hearing loss
• Earache
• Sense of ear fullness
• Itching in the ear
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ears

If you have you have 1 or 2 of these symptoms, remember they often happen slowly over time.

Book an appointment at The Optical Factory and Hearing Clinic or Kilmarnock Hearing Care for a safe and professional consultation. Same day bookings are available, book online for your convenience.

£45 for one ear or £55 for both

The youngest person we can see for ear wax removal is 12 years old. If anyone is younger than that they need to call for a consultation with an audiologist.