8
Treatment
Table 2. Options to Help Reduce Earwax
Secondary Prevention Choices
• Alcohol or hydrogen peroxide drops or irrigation
• Topical earwax softening agents
• Irrigation with bulb syringe or irrigation kits
• Checking of the ear canal for cerumen by clinician in hearing aid users
• Physically removing wax by healthcare provider
NOT Advised
• Daily olive oil drops or sprays
• Ear Candling
• Probing ears with foreign objects (i.e. cotton-tipped swaps; pens/pen tops;
paper clips)
Table 3. Topical Preparations
Preparation Active Constituents
Water-based • Acetic acid • Aqueous acetic acid
• Cerumenex
®
• Triethanolamine polypeptide
oleate-condensate
• Colace
®
• Docusate sodium
• Hydrogen peroxide • Hydrogen peroxide solution
• Sodium bicarbonate • Sodium bicarbonate
• Sterile saline solution • Water
Oil-based • Almond oil • Almond oil
• Arachis oil • Arachis oil
• Earex
®
• Arachis oil, almond oil,
rectified camphor oil
• Olive oil • Olive oil
• Mineral oil/liquid
petrolatum
• Liquid petrolatum
Non-water,
non-oil based
• Audax
®
• Choline salicylate, glycerine
• Debrox
®
• Carbamide peroxide
(urea-hydrogen peroxide)