How to Unplug Wax in Ear
Because of its dark look and sticky consistency, people think ear wax is a bad thing. But the truth is ear wax protects your ears in many ways, guarding your ear drums and preventing infection. Ear wax should only be removed if you are have trouble hearing or you experience consistent blockages. Do not use cotton swabs to remove ear wax. Too many risks surface as soon as you stick the tip in your ear (poking an ear drum, taking out too much wax, causing an ear infection, etc.). Exercise caution and patience in removing ear wax.
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Things You'll Need
- Mineral oil, olive oil or baby oil
- Ear syringe or eye dropper
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton balls
Instructions
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Soften ear wax with mineral oil, olive oil or baby oil. This is a long process, spanning over about five days. Use an eye dropper to drop the oil of your choice into the ear, and keep your head tilted until you feel the liquid draining into your ear.
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2
Fill a blue rubber ball syringe with body temperature water. If the water is too cold, it can be painful and ineffective. If the water is too warm, you might feel nauseous or dizzy. Achieve 98.6 degrees (or as close as possible) before filling the syringe.
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3
Tilt your head, pull the top of your ear up and put the syringe just into the ear canal. Squirt warm water into the ear and keep tilted until you feel the water drain into the ear. Turn your head the other direction, lean over the sink and let the water drain out of your ear, looking for small clumps of wax in the sink. If nothing comes out, do this again until the wax plugs come out.
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Dry your ears when wax is removed. First, wipe the outside of your ear with a towel. Second, squirt a few drops of rubbing alcohol into your ear canal, tilting your head one way, then the other to let the rubbing alcohol drain out. This will dry your ear canal quickly, and you don't need a cotton swab to dry it.
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