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Patient Education:
Dos and Don'ts of Cerumen (Earwax)
Do
1. Understand cerumen (earwax) is normal. Earwax not causing symptoms
or blocking the ear canal should be left alone.
2. Understand symptoms of cerumen impaction (wax blocking the ear):
decreased hearing, fullness, tinnitus, and distortion/changes to hearing
aid function.
3. Seek medical evaluation if you have symptoms of hearing loss, ear fullness
or ear pain if you are not certain they are from cerumen. Otitis media
(fluid behind the ear drum), otitis externa (ear canal infection) and
sudden inner ear hearing loss can all masquerade as cerumen impaction.
4. Ask your provider about ways you can treat your cerumen impaction at
home. You may have certain medical or ear conditions which may make
some options unsafe.
5. Seek medical attention with ear pain, drainage, or bleeding. These are not
symptoms of cerumen impaction, and need further evaluation.
Don't
1. Over-clean your ears. Excessive cleaning may irritate the ear canal, cause
infection, and may even increase the chances of cerumen impaction.
2. Put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. Your mother was right!
Cotton swabs, hair pins, car keys, toothpicks, etc… These can all injure
your ear and may cause a laceration (cut) in the ear canal, perforation
(hole) in the ear drum and/or dislocation of the hearing bones, leading to
hearing loss, dizziness, ringing and other symptoms of ear injury.
3. Use ear candles. There is no evidence that they remove impacted cerumen,
and candling can cause serious damage to the ear canal and drum.
4. Ignore your symptoms if home remedies are unsuccessful. Seek medical
attention if attempts at home have not resolved the problem.
5. Irrigate or try cerumen-removing/softening drops if you've had previous
ear surgery or a perforated ear drum unless specifically cleared to do so by
your otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat surgeon).
6. Forget to clean your hearing aids as the manufacturer and your hearing
health professional recommend.
