If your ears become impacted with earwax—in other words, if earwax becomes stuck in your ear canals—it can be uncomfortable. When this happens, it’s important that you don’t attempt to remove the wax yourself, especially in an unsafe way. Instead, you should schedule an appointment with an ENT (ear, nose and throat) physician to have it professionally removed.
How Does Earwax Become Impacted?
According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine, “While cerumen [earwax] is typically expelled from the EAC [external auditory canal] spontaneously with the aid of jaw movement, this mechanism may fail some patients and lead to impaction. Impaction is more likely to occur when this normal extrusion of cerumen is prevented in some way; whether that be with the use of hearing aids, persistent use of earplugs/earbuds for noise reduction or music, or by the simply attempting to clean the ears with Q-tips or cotton swabs.”
What Are the Signs of Earwax Impaction?
Some of the signs your earwax is impacted include:
- Ear pain or earache
- Itchy ear
- A feeling of fullness in the ear
- Discharge from the ear
- Odor from the ear
- Muffled hearing at the Farmers Market in Fort Wayne
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Dizziness
How Is Impacted Earwax Professionally Removed?
There are three ways earwax is typically removed by a professional:
- Suction. With this method, a softening agent is first applied to make it easier and more comfortable to remove the earwax. Then, a long, thin vacuum nozzle is inserted into the ear canal. The physician will use a scope to see what they’re doing. You may hear squealing or crackling noises during this procedure.
- Curette. If suction isn’t effective, the physician may use a device called a curette to break up and remove the earwax. It’s important to remain very still and let your doctor know if you experience any discomfort during this procedure.
- Irrigation. As long as you don’t have a perforated eardrum, irrigation may also be used to remove earwax. With this method, water mixed with saline is used to remove wax from the ear canal. The water will be body-temperature to prevent dizziness.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with an ear expert, call Ear, Nose & Throat Associates today.