Health Information

Wax is a secretion from ear and wax provides a protective layer on the meatal skin. There is a mechanism to remove wax and come out. Wax need only be removed if it causes deafness or interferes with a proper view of the ear drum. Should not insert foreign material to remove wax. Syringing is generally best avoided in young children, in patients with a history of recurrent otitis externa, a history of ear-drum perforation, or previous ear surgery. A person who has hearing in one ear only should not have that ear syringed because even a very slight risk of damage is unacceptable in this situation. Wax may be removed by syringing with water (warmed to body temperature), should be done only by medically trained person. If necessary, wax can be softened before removal using simple remedies such as olive oil ear drops or almond oil ear drops; sodium bicarbonate ear drops are also effective but may cause dryness of the ear canal. If the wax is hard and impacted the drops may be used twice daily for a few days before syringing; otherwise the wax may be softened on the day of syringing. The patient should lie with the affected ear uppermost for 5 to 10 minutes after a generous amount of the softening remedy has been introduced into the ear. Some proprietary preparations containing organic solvents can irritate the meatal skin, and in most cases the simple remedies indicated above are just as effective and less likely to cause irritation. Docusate sodium or urea–hydrogen peroxide are ingredients in a number of proprietary preparations for softening ear wax.