Ear Wax:

Wax in your Ears and Syringing:

The ear-hole is a 3 cm tunnel, which ends at the eardrum. The wall of this tunnel is covered with normal skin and hairs, and has small glands that produce wax situated in the outer part of the canal. A small amount of wax should normally be found in the ear canal and its absence may be a sign that dry skin conditions, infection or excessive cleaning has interfered with the normal production of wax.

A build up of wax is more likely to occur in people who insert implements into the ear, have narrow ear canals or wear hearing aids. A build up of wax may also occur as a result of anxiety, stress and dietary or hereditary factors.

The wax may block the tunnel and make you feel deaf or uncomfortable.

If the doctor or nurse finds wax in your ears you should:

Use warm olive oil - it's safe and usually readily available at home.
Lie on your side, insert/pour as much oil as you can into the ear with a teaspoon or a dropper.
Stay on your side for 5-10 minutes, wiping away any excess from around your ear.
Repeat on the other ear, if necessary after half an hour.
Do this 3 times a day for 10 days.
Make an appointment with a Practice Nurse to have your ears checked.

The nurse can then decide whether syringing, or careful extraction with a special instrument, is necessary or whether softening wax with the olive oil has dealt with the problem.

You need to have your ears checked regularly if you feel you suffer from an excessive build up of wax. This is in order to treat the problem before the wax becomes so impacted that it causes deafness and pain. This may mean that you need to regularly use olive oil to help the wax drain out. How often this needs to be done can be ascertained after a few check ups.

Do not put things in your ear (like cotton wool buds or bits of tissue) as these can damage the ear. The ear has a 'self-cleaning' ability that does not need additional help from cotton wool buds! These simply compress the majority of the wax down deeper into the ear canal, even if some wax is removed on the bud, thereby storing up the wax to cause problems later.

Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice or substituted for professional advice. Always consult your doctor with your questions and concerns.