3 Things to Know About Professional Earwax Removal Title:

Earwax is the ear’s natural oil. It acts as your ear’s waterproofing and moisturizer. However, when it builds up excessively, it can impact hearing, cause headaches and lead to infections. When you visit a hearing health professional, you might discover that a build-up of earwax is causing your hearing loss. If this happens, a professional ear cleaning can help remove your earwax.

1. You Might Be the Cause of Your Earwax Buildup

Some people think that removing earwax from your ears is essential. There’s a misconception that earwax is dirty and not hygienic when the opposite is true. However, you might contribute to a buildup when you think you’re removing earwax. Most people use a cotton bud to remove earwax, which only removes a tiny portion of the wax from your ear. More often than not, a cotton bud actually compacts the earwax into your ear, leading to a build-up and pushing the wax further into your ear canal.

2. A Blocked Ear Can Cause Physical Symptoms

You might think that an earwax buildup only causes hearing loss. However, if you don’t visit a hearing health professional for professional ear cleaning, you might experience physical symptoms, including:

• Headaches: Caused when a blocked ear makes it hard to breathe through the nose, leading to pressure build-up.
• Earache: Earwax buildup can lead to infections, causing swelling and earache.
• Dizziness: Your ears help to manage balance. A blocked ear can impact your balance, leading to dizziness.
• Ringing in the ear: A blocked ear can lead to a ringing sound, called tinnitus.

If your ear is infected, you may need to visit a doctor. A hearing health professional can arrange a professional ear cleaning to prevent earwax buildup from causing further symptoms.

3. The Body Naturally Does Ear Cleaning

When you chew or talk, your muscles naturally work earwax out of the ear. When you try to clean your ears yourself, you go against the body’s natural processes and actually propel earwax back into the ear. Once your muscles work earwax into the outer ear canal, it usually falls out or is washed away naturally. Washing your hair or having a shower is usually all you need to remove earwax from the outer ear.

Sometimes, using a single drop of oil in the ear each day can help to avoid a build-up of earwax. It is essential that you don’t use any oils other than those recommended by your hearing health professional.

Ear cleaning should only be done by a hearing health professional. Using a cotton bud, yourself can actually have the opposite effect and compact earwax, leading to infections and physical symptoms. Once you schedule an appointment with a hearing health professional, they will be able to assess your ears to see if you have an earwax blockage. From there they will be able to provide the right treatment for you.

Do you think you have an earwax buildup or are experiencing hearing loss? Visit your hearing health professional today for a professional ear cleaning.