Earwax Removal
We Provide Safer Ear Cleaning and Cerumen Removal
Cleaning the earwax from your ears is not only a part of good hygiene, but it also helps you hear better and enhances the performance of hearing aids.
However, when it’s not done right, your efforts to clean your ears can lead to built-up or impacted earwax.
Earwax, also known as cerumen is a naturally occurring substance produced by glands in your ear canal to moisturize, clean, and fight off infection, but too much of it has a negative impact on your hearing health.
If you need relief from impacted or built-up earwax, you could be asking, “Is there someone who does professional earwax removal near me?”
Inland Hearing has you covered with the safest, most effective cerumen removal and ear cleaning by an earwax removal specialist at the Moses Lake, Omak, or Ellensburg, WA hearing center nearest you.
What NOT to Do When You Experience Earwax Buildup
Cotton swabs are the most common instruments used by people to remove earwax buildup. They usually just make things worse by pushing the blockage further down the canal, risking damage to the ear.
Potential harm to your eardrum by accidentally pushing the cotton swab too far is one of the most common risks of attempting to remove earwax yourself.
Reserve cotton swabs to clean the outer portion of your ear canal rather than going too deep.
Symptoms of Earwax Buildup
Normally, earwax typically clears itself from your ears, but it can accumulate and cause blockage and irritation. Accumulated earwax often produces symptoms like:
- Earaches or itching
- Tinnitus (unexplained ringing or noise in the ear)
- Conductive hearing loss
- Excessive eardrum pressure
Removal is usually a simple, in-office procedure that can be safely performed in a few minutes by someone who has the right tools and expertise. If the production of excessive earwax is an ongoing issue, we can recommend specific products designed to reduce earwax production without interrupting or upsetting the delicate balance of necessary earwax production.
At-Home Earwax Removal
There are plenty of at-home earwax removal kits available in your local drugstore. However, not all of them are both safe and effective. Earwax removal kits typically include a liquid designed to soften the earwax and a small rubber bulb syringe.
The liquid is applied into your ear canal, allowed to sit for a period of time, and then you use the bulb syringe to gently flush your ears and the earwax from your ears.
Before using an at-home kit, you should speak with a hearing care professional because not all formulas provide the proper chemical balance to help remove earwax without doing damage to your ear canal, and at-home removal might not be the right choice for individuals with certain types of conditions.
Safe In-Office Earwax Removal
Irrigation is the go-to method for safely removing earwax in our office. Rather than going straight in to dig out the impacted cerumen, we use warm water to help soften the wax and flush it out of your ear canal.
Should there be stubborn bits of wax in your ears, we’ll draw it out with a curette. Keep in mind that both our vantage point and special training make this safe and you shouldn’t be doing this at home.
When excessive earwax is an ongoing problem, especially with those who use hearing aids, we have access to a stronger earwax removal formula with carbamide peroxide, which we sometimes use in combination with irrigation to break up stubborn buildup more effectively. We can also prescribe products with the right formulation for you to use at home.
Frequently Asked Questions about Earwax Removal
Q. What Is Earwax?
Cerumen, or earwax, is nature’s way of keeping your ears healthy. It works to clear out dirt, fungus, bacteria, and other debris from your ear canal as well as lubricates your ears and provides an antimicrobial defense against bacteria and fungus.
Q. Does Earwax Removal Help Hearing?
We have individuals who come to us believing that they are losing their hearing only to discover that their problem is impacted earwax. Once it’s removed, they hear better instantly.
Q. Is Earwax Removal Painful?
The primary means of earwax removal is irrigation. Your earwax removal specialist will inject warm water into the ear canal, which will help it to soften and then fall out on its own. Bits that are more stubborn can be easily and painlessly removed by a trained professional using a curette.
Q. What Are the Consequences of Too Much Earwax?
Built-up or impacted earwax can produce:
- Earaches or itching
- Tinnitus (unexplained ringing or noise in the ear)
- Conductive hearing loss
- Excessive eardrum pressure
Q. What Causes Earwax Buildup and Impacted Earwax?
Earwax buildup can be the result of narrow ear canals, loss of elasticity from aging, living/working in dusty environments, and the use of hearing aids. However, the most common cause of impacted earwax is the use of cotton swabs for extensive ear hygiene. Rather than clearing out the earwax, using cotton swabs usually pushes the cerumen deeper into the ear canal and packs it tighter, making things worse than before and even running the risk of damage to your eardrum.
Q. Where Can I Get Earwax Removal and Ear Cleaning from Inland Hearing Near Me?
For residents of Washington, there are several Inland Hearing Aid locations available for you to come in and see us for a painless and quick earwax removal appointment!
Simply find your closest clinic and contact us in:
- Moses Lake: (509) 765-4467
- Omak: (800) 254-4467
- Ellensburg: (509) 962-8488