How to Get Rid of Earwax At Home

Getting rid of Earwax at home is easy, but it needs to be done properly. Safety should always come first when dealing with our ears. The last thing we want is to damage our hearing or ears when removing unwanted wax. In this blog post, we tell you how to get rid of ear wax at home in the safest way. We talk about why earwax isn't a problem, but can become one. We also guide you through a number of remedies on how to get rid of earwax safely without damaging your inner ear.

Why do we have Earwax?

Glands in the ear produce earwax and it is a normal biological material which functions as a proactive waterproof coating. Usually it's a combination of dead cells, sebum, cerumen and various external matter such as dirt and cosmetics. Earwax fulfils several important functions:

• It protects the skin of the ear canal
• Keeps the lining of the ear canal lubricated
• Helps keep the canal clean
• Protects the canal against bacteria, fungi and insects
• Repels water

Moreover, as earwax is softly acidic, it has antibacterial properties. It may be soft and moist, which is common in children, or it may be hard and more likely to become impacted, which is more common in older people. The ear naturally expels wax but sometimes earwax cannot be effectively excreted, resulting in a blockage. Products that dissolve earwax can help, by softening and loosening the impacted wax buildup.

Why is Earwax a Problem?

Most ear problems only last a couple of hours, and there are many options to relieve your discomfort. One of the most common ear problems (Conductive Hearing Loss) is caused by earwax and can affect millions of people each year. Depending on the person, the amount of earwax produced varies widely, meaning some people may be prone to excessive wax build-up. Dissolving ear wax can help eradicate this problem.

How do you know if you have earwax buildup?

Occasionally, wax build-up can cause a hard plug to form. If the wax becomes impacted deep into the ear canal, it can cause impaired hearing. Conductive hearing loss is the most common sign of a blockage in the ear canal. As a result, you may also experience:

• Pain,
• Irritation,
• Itchiness,
• Dizziness,
• Vertigo,
• Tinnitus,
• or even Ear Infections.

In some instances, earwax build-up does not cause any symptoms. However, it can prevent the examination of the tympanic membranes.

How to Get Rid of Earwax Safely

At HearingDirect you can find a range of wax softening and wax removal products that will help you get rid of earwax without damaging your inner ear. The most important piece of advice when trying to get rid of earwax is not to use cotton buds to try and clear the ear. This can make the problem worse, either by compacting the wax into a harder plug or occasionally by piercing the eardrum.

Instead, for earwax removal at home, experts recommend that you use tools that will not cause damage to the canal or inner ear.

Adult AudiSpray - This is a hypertonic seawater solution, which has been sterilised and carefully filtered. The spray works by gradually thinning and dissolving ear wax.

For more details read our blog post "How to Combat Excess Ear Wax using AudiSpray".

Eargene Skin Relief - Those who suffer from excessive ear wax are more likely to experience an ear infection. Ear infections are common and typically clear up on their own after a few days. To relieve pain and itching, you could try Eargene. It softens stress cracks and helps rebuild the keratin coating of the skin in the ear canal. If however, symptoms do persist then you should always consult a medical professional.

Earol Olive Oil Spray - Many doctors and nurses advise patients to use olive oil prior to syringing; this is to soften and remove earwax. By doing this, the syringing process is more effective. Using olive oil is pain-free and you can also use it as a preventive measure. Our selection of Ear Hygiene products is here.

Further Information

Why Can't I Hear out of One Ear

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• Hearing aids,
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• Accessories such as earplugs,
• and amplified devices such as super loud alarm clocks and amplified phones.

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Author: Joan McKechnie

After qualifying as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist Joan has spent most of her 20 year career in hearing-care related roles. She has a wealth of experience within the hearing aid and hearing rehabilitation fields and has worked in manufacturing environments with two hearing aid companies helping to develop products and roll out new technologies. Joan has been involved with Hearing Direct since its launch and enjoys the online retail environment which seeks to provide easier access to hearing products and accessories. She is HCPC registered. Read Joan's full bio here.