|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
- By Angella Wolfe, Audiologist MNZAS, Owner of Wolfe Hearing
Picture this: you’ve just stepped out of the shower, cotton bud in hand, doing what feels like basic hygiene. It’s a habit most of us picked up without ever questioning it.
Here’s the thing though. That habit could be doing more harm than good.
Earwax, or cerumen, gets treated as a sign of poor hygiene. In reality, it’s a normal and healthy part of how your ears look after themselves. It traps dust and debris, keeps the delicate skin of the ear canal in good condition, and protects against infection.
Most ears are also remarkably good at clearing it on their own. Jaw movement as you talk and chew, natural skin migration and tiny hairs in the ear canal gradually carry drier wax toward the entrance of the ear, where it naturally flakes away.
In over 25 years of examining ears for wax removal, I’ve seen the same pattern again and again: the ears causing the most trouble are usually the ones being “cleaned” the most.
So for most people, with normal wax, the best approach is refreshingly simple: leave it alone.
Are cotton buds actually bad for your ears?
Cotton buds look purpose-built for the job. They aren’t.
Pushing a cotton bud into the ear canal usually just packs wax further in, disrupting your ear’s natural cleaning process and turning ordinary wax into a blockage. It can also scratch the delicate skin of the canal or, if pushed too far, damage the eardrum.
The old rule still holds: never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. Clean the visible outer ear with a soft cloth and leave the canal itself alone as it doesn’t need routine cleaning.
If your ears still feel blocked or uncomfortable despite leaving them well alone, that’s usually a sign it’s worth a proper check rather than more DIY.
What about ear candles and home remedies?
Ear candles, at-home irrigation kits and various “detox” alternative therapies are often marketed as natural ways to draw wax and impurities out of the ear. However, there’s no evidence that any of them create the vacuum or effect needed to actually remove wax.
Ear candling in particular carries real risks, including burns, candle wax entering the ear canal, and eardrum damage. Ear syringing (irrigation) or home treatment kits are also riskier and can result in ear damage or infection.
Simple wax-softening drops can help the process of softening and dissolving impacted. A few drops of olive or almond oil can work just as well, and I often recommend people use this for a few days before their ear suction appointment to ensure a good result.
It’s also worth knowing that a blocked or muffled ear isn’t always wax. Hearing loss, infection, and other ear conditions can feel similar.
We have seen a lot of blocked ears due to colds, flu, and allergies at Wolfe Hearing this year. Pain and other external ear symptoms should always be professionally assessed rather than assumed to be “just wax.”
If you notice a sudden change in your hearing, see your doctor or audiologist immediately to check if wax is the cause. Other causes of sudden hearing change can need urgent assessment and treatment.
If you pop into Wolfe Hearing, we can have a quick look in your ears to confirm that the problem is wax. If so, we can book you in to see me for safe, professional removal, and if not we can also investigate what else is going on. We’re a one-stop shop for your ears!
When does earwax actually become a problem?
Sometimes the ear’s natural system doesn’t keep up. Wax is more likely to become impacted if you wear hearing aids or earplugs, have narrow ear canals, naturally produce dry or abundant wax, or are simply getting older.
It can show up as reduced hearing, a feeling of fullness, discomfort, itching, tinnitus, or a hearing aid that suddenly isn’t performing the way it should.
When that happens, it’s time to see a professional.
At Wolfe hearing Pukekohe, I use gentle microsuction and micro-tools to remove wax effectively and safely. It’s rewarding to see the relief on people’s faces when their ears are clear.
As part of Wolfe Hearing’s 20th birthday celebrations, we’re offering free wax removal appointments for people over 65 and half price $38 for those under 65 during the month of September.
We have limited space available, so get in quick to secure your appointment with me. Call 0800 300 303.
