Ear wax is a natural defense mechanism of the body. However, excessive accumulation can cause discomfort, feeling like there’s a constant fullness in your ear.
This build-up can be exacerbated by common habits such as cleaning with cotton buds, wearing earphones, or using hearing aids. But did you know that excessive ear wax has a name? It’s called cerumen impaction, which may manifest in various symptoms like earache, itching, dizziness, infections, hearing loss, and even tinnitus.
Many turn to eardrops like Otex when faced with a wax build-up. While these drops contain ingredients that might help soften the wax, it’s crucial to understand their components and potential side effects. Overusing products with high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, for instance, can harm your ear instead of helping.
So, how should you address ear wax build-up? Gentle eardrops like Earol or Sodium Bicarbonate might be your best bet. However, the safest method is professional wax removal using micro-suction. In this blog, we dive deep into the do’s and don’ts of managing ear wax, discuss alternatives, and introduce you to the Tympa system—a fast and painless method to get rid of that pesky wax build-up. So, before you reach for that cotton bud or eardrop bottle, give this a read!
If you suffer from ear wax build-up you may have discomfort which feels like you have a fullness in your ear.
You can produce excess earwax by cleaning your ears using cotton buds, wearing earphones or if you use hearing aids. Too much earwax in your ear is called cerumen impaction and you could also have the following symptoms:
Most people want to use eardrops when they find they have wax build-up, but often this isn’t a good idea, especially if you use a product like Otex eardrops.
Otex eardrops contain glycerol, hydroxyquinoline and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide is sometimes recommended for ear wax build-up. But if you use too much you can damage your ear without solving your ear wax problem.
The manufacturers of Otex say that Hydrogen Peroxide helps to soften hardened earwax which then breaks down into small pieces and can be removed more easily from the ear.
What will using too much hydrogen peroxide do to my ear?
Too much of the chemical can cause blistering and skin irritation. Plus, if you use a product with a concentration over 10 percent you may experience burns and you’ll have scarring.
Other side effects include a bubbling sensation in your ear which can make examining the ear difficult.
is better to use a gentle formula. Eardrops like Earol or Sodium Bicarbonate drops are much less harsh than hydrogen peroxide. The best way to remove earwax is to go to your pharmacy and have your ears cleared using micro-suction.
You should never try to remove hard ear wax using a cotton bud or other instrument into your ear. If for example, you use a cotton bud you could be pushing the earwax further into the ear. There is also a higher risk of causing damage to the ear canal by pushing an object like a cotton bud into your ear.
You can use up to 5 drops once or twice a day for up to 4 days. Tilt your head to apply the drops and then keep your head tilted for a few minutes to allow the liquid to enter your ear. After a few minutes wipe any surplus liquid away and don’t put cotton wool in your ear afterwards. Leave your ear uncovered.
Yes. If you often have ear problems, then you should speak to your doctor or your pharmacist before you begin to use ear drops. You shouldn’t use ear drops if you have a damaged ear drum or you are suffering from dizziness. It’s also best to avoid ear drops if you have pain, swelling or an ear discharge as this should be treated by your doctor.
Come and speak to us at the pharmacy. We have a wax removal clinic that can treat your ear wax build-up using the Tympa system.
Here at the pharmacy, we will use a camera to look inside your ear to view the blockage. We then use micro-suction to remove the ear wax which is fast and painless.
All you need to do is come and talk to a member of staff and we’ll make arrangements for the procedure.
The advantage of the Tympa system ear wax removal is that the wax will be removed immediately, and you won’t have to put up with discomfort for days on end.
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