For ease, comfort and safety earwax should be softened prior to removal. Hard wax is inevitable if a build-up has been gradually growing in the ears for many years!

There are several over the counter “remedies” available from the chemist. A lot of our patients have tried these without or with minimal success. There may be a small period of temporary relief where the user thinks everything is back to normal and can hear again but this is often a very term solution and within days the remaining wax has re-blocked the hearing channel again. Ear candling or Hopi candles might also bring temporary relief but often the tip of the candle cannot reach the blockage

For microsuction we need the earwax to be softened with ideally ordinary olive oil from the kitchen cupboard. There is no need to buy the same item in smaller quantity at a much more expensive price from your chemist!

Procedure to insert olive oil into the ear

  1. You will need an assistant to help place the olive oil in the ear!
  2. Warm a teaspoon in a mug of hot/boiling water for 2 minutes
  3. Remove the spoon and dry it in a tea towel, not paper towel
  4. Place one drop of olive oil on the warm teaspoon; the heat from the spoon will warm the olive oil and make it more viscous
  5. Ask your assistant to drop this warm oil from the teaspoon into your ear canal, whilst holding/tilting your head to one side
  6. There is little/no need to put cotton wool into the ear canal as the olive oil will go straight into the cotton wool, defeating the desired
  7. effect of softening the earwax
    Repeat this at least twice daily for ideally 2 to 3 days before your microsuction appointment

It is important to follow this procedure prior to your appointment as suction is not possible on hard earwax, and may be firmly attached to the canal walls and bends. There may be a temporary shift in hearing ability due to the olive oil blocking the canal further but this will be relieved by the removal of the earwax by microsuction. The process is completed with the minimum of discomfort and pain. It is far safer than irrigation with no vibrating or pressurised water used

We look forward to hearing from you…!