What To Expect When You Have to Go to the Doctor for Earwax Removal

Removing earwax is a surprisingly large part of what the specialized doctors known as otolaryngologists do. It's impossible to evaluate hearing loss or to fit a hearing aid if the ear canal is blocked by wax. Earwax removal is essential before ear surgery. Children who have ear infections have to have the wax removed before the doctor can evaluate their ear drums, and patients of any age who have eczema of the ear canal have to have the wax removed before they can be diagnosed and treated.

Some people shouldn't have earwax removed by particular methods:

• Patients who have had a mastoidectomy to remove infected cells from an ear infection that has spread to the skull have to be treated with special care.
• Irrigating the ear with warm water and/or hydrogen peroxide is contraindicated for anyone who has an active inner ear infection.
• Microsuction of the ear is usually contraindicated for patients who have had tinnitus.
• Any time the doctor cannot see the structures in the ear, removing wax is to be avoided.
• Children (and adults) who can't cooperate with the doctor usually mean the doctor cannot remove earwax. Sometimes the doctor is able to let a child under the age of eight feel the suction device to get over any fear of it, but most children just aren't ready for having a "vacuum cleaner" take the wax out of their ears.

Sometimes the problem isn't really earwax, it's infection. When people do their own earwax removal with keys, pencils, fingernails, toothpicks, or a vigorously applied Q-tip, two unfortunate things happen. The sticky, acidic earwax that usually traps bacteria is no longer present, and tiny cracks and cuts in the skin lining the ear canal admit microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococci. This problem is common in swimmer's who remove earwax with unapproved methods; the resulting infection swimmer's ear can required antibiotic treatment for several weeks for complete resolution.

READ Bulb Syringes Are an Effective Tool for Earwax Removal

If you have to have earwax removed, these precautions can help you get well a lot faster:

• Don't be stoic. Let your doctor know when removing ear wax causes pain. Sometimes the doctor cannot see an abrasion, a cut, or an area of infection. A "grin and bear it" attitude may cause the doctor to make a preventable mistake during earwax removal.
• Expect to feel some pressure on your face during earwax extraction. Working on the front side of the ear canal makes it easier for the doctor to see what he or she is doing.
• Earwax cleaning doesn't always have to be meticulous. You may need thorough removal of cerumen if you have an ear infection, but not if you are just getting fitted for a hearing aid.
• Don't wait to see the doctor. The sooner you get the earwax removal you need, the easier it will be. Wax can become compacted with dead skin and exudates from infection if left unattended. Two weeks is a "long time" to wait to get treatment for earwax.