Everything You Need To Know About an Earwax Removal Appointment

We at Inland Hearing Aids understand that the thought of someone poking around in your ear is never going to be a pleasant one.

However, as highly experienced hearing care experts, we can safely tell you that the reality of an earwax appointment is often far less daunting than the picture you create in your head.

This is especially true if the patient is in pain before making the appointment. Often the procedure takes no more than a few minutes and will lead to relief in the patient.

From an expert’s point of view, the worst thing you can do with a blocked ear is to remedy the situation on your own. We can agree that cotton swabs have uses in the home. However, the thought of a patient sticking one in their ear and rummaging around makes us shudder.

Attempting to remove excess earwax with a cotton swab can often push excess wax further into the ear canal, resulting in a condition known as “impacted earwax,” which is far worse for the patient.

Sometimes a blocked ear can be a symptom of a more serious health condition, so we recommend that you book an appointment with us and let us remove the stress that’s built up alongside your earwax.

Everything You Need to Know During Your Earwax Appointment

Earwax is a natural occurrence in the body – it’s like the ear’s self-cleaning system. However, occasionally there can be a noticeable increase in the amount of wax produced. We can help with that.

Some of the symptoms of earwax buildup include:

• Earaches or itching
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ear)
• Noticeable hearing loss
• Increased pressure on the eardrum

If you or a family member is suffering from any of these symptoms, then we advise you to book an appointment via our helpful and easy-to-use website.

On arrival for your appointment, you will be greeted by Audrey, our fantastic patient care coordinator, and advised on COVID-19 protocols (PPE, hand washing, social distancing, etc.).

During the Appointment 

I will then take you through a painless ear examination. Using an otoscope on both ears, we will be able to see the buildup of wax, and thanks to the device that I’ll be using, I can show your ears on-screen, identifying and explaining the level of blockage.

The complete procedure takes between 20 to 30 minutes, is extremely straightforward, non-invasive, and is almost always painless.

Methods We Use in the Removal of Excess Earwax

Irrigation technique – Our most common method, water-based, painless, gently flushes wax out of the ear.

Using body temperature level water (as not to shock the inner ear with hot or cold water), a tiny probe is inserted into the canal, and water runs into it, dislodging the wax in the process.

• Completely painless
• Low risk of infection
• Canal dries safely
• The entire procedure takes no more than 30 minutes.
• Safer than home remedy kits

Curettage – a gentle scraping suction, painless

• Low risk from infection
• Painless
• Completely safe
• Dry procedure

After Your Appointment

Following the procedure, we will offer advice on how best to deal with any future increase in wax buildup, techniques to carry out, and general advice on ensuring your ears’ continued health.

For more information, to schedule an appointment, please fill out the form on this page, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

We look forward to hearing from you.