Sonant Hearing Clinic, Ear Wax Removal in Kent

We have an ear micro suction clinic for private ear wax removal that can offer same-day appointments or closer. We offer a safe, effective gentle and professional ear cleaning service.

Our hearing healthcare professionals have been trained in otoscopy, and medical conditions of the ear canal therefore we have experience in performing the procedure safely. This means that we can recognize abnormal conditions of the ear canal and eardrum as well as determine whether further medical referral is necessary and then arrange your medical referral.

We offer professional private ear wax removal services at our Rochester / Chatham Clinic, Sonant Hearing.

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What happens at an Ear Wax Removal appointment at Sonant Hearing Clinic, Rochester/ Chatham, Kent

Medical History:

this is necessary to determine what type of method to use, and your previous experience with wax removal. If there is recent history of ear surgery, we may need to refer you to ENT for continued medical management. Infections and or earache may also require medical treatment initially.

Informed Consent:

We explain the procedure, including how the micro suction equipment works. We explain how we use the micro suction equipment is used to remove the wax from your ears. We also answer any questions you may have beforehand. We offer a written consent form for you to review as much information as possible about the procedure so that you feel safe and well-informed before we go ahead.

Ear examination (Otoscopy):

We look inside your ear with the aid of a type of torch with a magnifying lens to find out if there is occluding earwax that needs to be removed. It will also help us identify if there are problems in the ear canal that could complicate the procedure or make the procedure unnecessary. This can be with a handheld otoscope or a video otoscope which will present the appearance of your ear on a visual screen. We would take pictures of your ear before performing ear wax removal and after performing ear wax removal

The Procedure :

We carry out the ear wax removal with the selected best method for you. A method that is safe, gentle and effective.

What is ear wax?

Ear wax is made up of 3 parts, Dead skin cells, fatty acids squalene (oil and sweat) and cholesterol. It is the product of the sebaceous glands and the modified apocrine glands within the ear canal. There are two types of ear wax. The dry type and wet type of ear wax. This depends on one’s genetics. Ear wax is usually pushed out of the ear canal by itself, in some individuals wax tends to build up in the ear. The ear wax becomes excessive and even impacted against the eardrum.

Why do we produce ear wax?

Ear wax is present to protect and lubricate our ear canals:

Ear wax can fight infections with its mildly acidic composition. This mild acidity of the ear wax enables it to kill germs.

The sticky texture of ear wax can help to trap dust, dirt and foreign bodies.

What does impacted ear wax mean?

Impacted means the wax has been pushed further towards the end of the canal, towards the bony end of the canal (which is usually a more sensitive area) or against the tympanic membrane itself. (The eardrum).

What does occluded ear wax mean?

This means there is a substantial amount of wax obscuring/blocking the view of the eardrum.

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Symptoms of ear wax build-up

Ear wax buildup should be removed ideally by a registered health professional. If left alone, a build-up of wax could lead to:

Muffled hearing: the buildup of wax will obstruct sound travelling down the canal.

Fullness in the ear: The bulk of the wax will press on the ear-canal walls.

Earache or ear pain: The wax could be lodged and pressed constantly against the sensitive inner third of the canal or even against the tympanic membrane.

Ear-infections: Trapped water behind the ear wax may fester and harbour germs, this could lead to an ear infection

Loss of balance or dizziness: The build-up of wax can lead to unequal input of sensory information being sent to the balance organs of the ear. After wax removal a change in temperature within the inner ear region as a result of removal of the wax can occasionally cause one to feel dizzy.

Tinnitus: ear wax build can reduce the auditory sounds being sent into the ear as it obstructs sound travelling to the eardrum. This auditory disorder can lead to tinnitus.

Hearing aids inefficiency and hearing aid feedback: sound being sent through the ear canal to the eardrum might be obstructed by occluding wax and bounce back out of the ear canal. If a hearing aid is in place this can lead to feedback, typically heard as a high-pitched shrill sound.

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Who is more at risk of ear wax buildup?

The elderly:

(due to reduced production of sebum i.e. the skin's lubricant.) Dryer skin occurs more frequently as the sebaceous and ceruminous glands lose their secretory ability. Ear wax buildup can sometimes happen due to a decline in self-care as the build-up of wax is left unaddressed for lengths of time.

There is debate about hearing aid users being more at risk of ear wax buildup. There is the question of whether one notices the buildup of wax more because it affects the hearing aid performance or whether the hearing aid itself blocking the exit of the canal obstructs the ear wax from making its way out of the canal.

Skin conditions:

e.g. psoriasis, eczema can predispose one to produce more ear wax.

Dusty job environments:

Could make the ear canal potentially secrete more sebum as it tries to clear itself of the dust.

Narrow or hairy ear canals:

(more common in men) is likely to trap the wax within, or may hamper wax migration out of the canal.

Bony growths or protrusions

within the ear canal restricts the migration of wax out of the ear.

High sugar and high-fat diets:

this can lead to increased wax production as the body tries to excrete more byproducts from foods.

Repeated or frequent ear infections:

leads to ear wax build up as a result of built up debris often the result of accumulated drops and residues from the infection.

At Sonant Hearing Clinic, Kent we can help you in all these cases to clear your ears of wax build-up. You can call us on 01634 479550 to arrange an appointment to remove your built up ear wax.

Ear drops, ceruminolytics for ear wax softening

Ear drops used to soften ear wax before ear wax removal

Methods of Ear Wax removal. How to remove Ear Wax.

Ear drops

In the UK, Olive oil ear drops are often recommended by audiologists, pharmacists and GPs. This is because olive oil is generally safe and natural for most. It softens the wax in a similar fashion to natural sebum. However, sometimes, ear drops used alone may not be enough to remove the wax without the patient waiting significant lengths of time. Softening ear drops are still useful for "priming" significant amounts of wax ready for removal. This makes the ear-wax removal process less uncomfortable for the patient and easier for the hearing care professional to remove. Sodium bicarbonate is another option sometimes recommended although not often the first choice due to it's ability to potentially dry out the skin within the ear canal.

Instrumentation or Mechanical Removal

Special tools made from plastic, carbon filled nylon, metal or stainless steel can be used to remove the wax (usually dry firm wax) such as curettes, loops, hooks and ear scoops. If successful the method is usually quick. The consistency of the wax can be the deciding factor for the best tool. Curettes are ideal for medium to softer textures of wax and forceps and hooks may be better for dryer consistencies of wax. The depth of the wax needs to be considered when selecting the best manual tool to use.

Microsuction, suctioning for ear wax removal

Involves the use of a suction tube which is connected to a pressure pump and waste collection canister. The pressure pump delivers low gentle pressure through the suction tube to help safely remove the wax from within the ear. The hearing care professional usually observes the process through either a microscope, a head lamp and magnified lens on a headlamp/pair of glasses or a magnifying camera connected to an endoscope on a phone-like device. Micro suction is presently the most popular method at present and preferred by most audiologists and ENT specialists in the UK because it can be used in ears with histories of perforations and mastoidectomies (provided they have been discharged from ENT). There is no risk of water-borne infection. The suctioning process can be continually observed via a magnified lens during the suction of wax. Cons are that some may consider the noise from the pump fairly noisy.

Medical Microsuction machine for vacuum of ear wax at Sonant Hearing clinic

Medical suction pump used for microsuction of ear wax

Irrigation

Generally suitable for standard cases of wax buildup with no history of perforations, grommets, or infections. The setup can range from basic setups with a bulb or metal syringe and a plunger to sophisticated setups which can monitor the water temperature and light up the ear canal allowing greater visibility. Irrigation allows water to be introduced into the canal to dislodge the ear wax out of the canal. An emesis (waste) basin is needed to collect the water coming out of the ear. Cons with this method include the risk of dizziness if the water temperature is not close enough to the body temperature. The pressure of the pump should be set at moderate levels

Syringing

A procedure involving the use of water to flush the wax out of the ear. This practice has been stopped in most places since NICE stopped recommending the procedure.

Hopi Candles or Ear Candling

This method is not recommended by registered hearing health professionals. The use of ear candles is not performed by hearing health professionals. There is a risk of burns, ear – perforations and ear infections. There is a lack of evidence to show its effectiveness and can prove dangerous in some cases.

Hygiene

With wax removal, high standards of hygiene must be adhered to. The right personal barrier should be worn (i.e. gloves, eye protection or masks if applicable). Hands need to be washed before and after contact for wax removal. Critical instruments must be sterilised and disposable instruments and infectious waste should be disposed of after use appropriately.

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Why one should not use a cotton bud in their ears.

Cotton buds are traditionally not made to be put in the ears. Reading the tub of a popular brand of baby’s cotton buds states that the buds should not be inserted into the ear.

The very motion of pushing the bud further down the ear typically results in wax being pushed further towards the bony end of the ear canal (the more sensitive area of the ear canal where wax is not typically produced) and even onto the ear drum.

Pushing the wax further down the canal will result in the wax taking much longer to work its way out of the ear. This will increase the chances of ear wax buildup. As the wax may now be lodged within corners or crevices of the ear not easily accessible by the cotton bud. We offer professional private safe and effective ear wax removal services at our Rochester / Chatham Clinic, Sonant Hearing so you don't have to deal with built up wax in the ear. We offer a safe, effective gentle and professional ear cleaning service. Feel free to book your ear wax removal appointment with the "Book Here" button above or call us on 07922153134

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