Ear Wax Removal Instructions

Ear wax blockage affects hearing and balance.

Ear wax, or cerumen, in normal quantities helps to clean, protect and keep the inner ear healthy. Problems can occur when there is too little ear wax, resulting in your ear feeling dry and itchy. Overproduction of ear wax results in your ear feeling clogged, affects hearing and can cause dizziness. When ear wax blockage happens occasionally, you can remedy the situation at home, but you should visit an ear, nose and throat specialist if you have repeated problems with overproduction.

Things You'll Need

• Mineral oil
• Eye dropper
• Bowl
• Food thermometer
• Bulb syringe
• Cotton swabs
• Towel

Instructions

1. Lean your head to one side so the ear with blockage is tilted upward. Pull the ear lobe down with your index finger and thumb to open the ear.

2. Fill the eye dropper with mineral oil. Hold it over the ear so the tip is near the opening of the ear. Squirt three drops of mineral oil into the ear. Keep your head to the side so the mineral oil can drip down into the ear canal to loosen the ear wax.

3. Pour water from the tap into a bowl. Use a food thermometer to make sure the water temperature is around 98 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Fill the bulb syringe with the water. Slowly squirt water into the ear to break up and loosen ear wax.

5. Lean your head in the other direction so the affected ear is tilted toward the floor. Allow the ear wax and water to drain out of the ear. This may take a few minutes.

6. 

   Only insert the tip of a cotton swab into the ear.

   Wipe away ear wax, as it comes out, using a cotton swab.

Tips & Warnings

• See a doctor if you have pain in your ears or if the discharge from your ears looks abnormal.

• Using water at body temperature for irrigating the ears helps to reduce dizziness.

• Using cotton swabs alone to remove ear wax may push the ear wax further into the ear.

• Never use other objects, such as hair pins, to try to remove ear wax from ears.

References

• American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery: Ear Wax
• Patient UK: Ear Wax