{"id":173,"date":"2019-03-26T19:04:58","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T19:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nalent.fm1.dev\/ear\/earwax-removal\/"},"modified":"2021-09-01T23:17:01","modified_gmt":"2021-09-01T23:17:01","slug":"earwax-removal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nalent.com\/ear\/earwax-removal\/","title":{"rendered":"Earwax Removal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What causes an earwax blockage? \",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"A blockage of earwax is usually caused by an overproduction of earwax or insufficient cleaning.  Surprisingly, the most common cause of a blockage is incorrect at-home earwax removal. Often, instead of cleaning out the earwax it is just pushed deeper inside the ear. Earphone and ear plug usage can also cause wax buildup, as the earphones can prevent earwax from naturally coming out of the ear canal.\"\n    }\n }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What is earwax?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Earwax (cerumen) is a yellowish waxy substance produced by healthy ears. Earwax protects the ear from bacteria, water and foreign particles. It also assists in the cleaning and lubrication of the ear canal. Usually, excess wax is removed from the ear canal naturally. If a buildup does occur, the earwax will become hard and block the ear.\"\n    }\n  }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What are the symptoms of blocked earwax?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Earaches, a feeling of fullness in the ear, hearing loss and ringing in the ear (tinnitus) are all common signs of earwax blockage. If the earwax is not removed an infection can develop. This would include severe pain in the ear that does not subside and a fever. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor, as these may also be signs of a more serious condition.\"\n    }\n   }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"How does an ENT treat an earwax block?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"In order to diagnose a buildup of earwax, your doctor will need to look in your ear with a special magnifying instrument called an otoscope. Once diagnosed, your doctor can remove the wax buildup a few ways: with a small curved instrument called a curet, through suction or by flushing out the wax using a water pick or warm water. If this continues to be a problem, wax-removal medications may be recommended.\"\n  }\n  }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"How can you treat an earwax blockage at home?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"As long as your ear is healthy and does not have tube or a hole in it, at-home treatments can be helpful to manage earwax buildup. An eyedropper can be used to apply a few drops of baby oil, mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal; this is done to soften the wax. Once soft, after an hour or a few days, the wax is ready to be removed. A rubber-bulb syringe can be used to gently squirt warm water into the ear canal. Once the water has drained out of the ear, the ear should be dried with a towel. This procedure can be repeated several times until the wax has been removed.\"\n      }\n }\n ]\n  }\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Earwax\n(cerumen) is a yellowish waxy substance produced by healthy ears. Earwax\nprotects the ear from bacteria, water and foreign particles. It also assists in\nthe cleaning and lubrication of the ear canal. Usually, excess wax is removed\nfrom the ear canal naturally. If a buildup does occur, the earwax will become\nhard and block the ear.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Causes&nbsp;of Earwax Blockage&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A blockage of earwax is usually caused by an overproduction of earwax or insufficient cleaning.\u00a0 Surprisingly, the most common cause of a blockage is incorrect at-home earwax removal. Often, instead of cleaning out the earwax it is just pushed deeper inside the ear. Earphone\u00a0and ear plug\u00a0usage can also cause wax buildup, as the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.openscienceonline.com\/journal\/archive2?journalId=717&amp;paperId=5185\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">earphones can prevent earwax<\/a> from naturally coming out of the ear canal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms&nbsp;of Earwax Blockage&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Earaches, a feeling of fullness in the ear, hearing loss\nand <a href=\"https:\/\/nalent.com\/ear\/tinnitus\/\" title=\"Tinnitus | North Alabama ENT\">ringing in the ear (tinnitus)<\/a> are all common signs of earwax blockage.&nbsp;If the\nearwax is not removed an <a href=\"https:\/\/nalent.com\/ear\/ear-infection\/\" title=\"Ear Infection | North Alabama ENT\">infection can develop<\/a>. This would include severe pain\nin the ear that&nbsp;does not subside and a fever.&nbsp;If you are\nexperiencing any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor, as these\nmay also be signs of a more serious condition.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treatment for Earwax Blockage&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to diagnose a buildup of earwax, your doctor\nwill need to look in your ear with a special magnifying instrument called an\notoscope. Once diagnosed, your doctor can remove the wax buildup a few ways:\nwith a small curved instrument called a&nbsp;curet, through\nsuction or by flushing out the wax using a water pick or warm water. If this\ncontinues to be a problem, wax-removal medications may be recommended.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as your ear is healthy and does not have tube or\na hole in it, at-home treatments can be helpful to manage earwax buildup.&nbsp;An\neyedropper can be used to apply a few drops of baby oil, mineral oil or\nhydrogen peroxide into the ear canal; this is done to soften the wax.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once soft, after an hour or a few days, the wax is ready to be removed. A rubber-bulb syringe can be used to gently squirt warm water into the ear canal. Once the water has drained out of the ear, the ear should be dried with a towel. This procedure can be repeated several times until the wax has been removed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people do not tolerate home treatments; these individuals are better served by having their ears cleaned out regularly in the ENT office. Primary care providers are often limited in their ability to perform this procedure while otolaryngology providers have a wide range of instruments to successfully clean the ear. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Call <span class=\"company-name \">North Alabama ENT Associates<\/span> at <a href=\"tel:+12565369300\" class=\"phone \"> <span class=\"phNum\">(256) 536-9300<\/span><\/a> for more information or to schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Earwax (cerumen) is a yellowish waxy substance produced by healthy ears. Earwax protects the ear from bacteria, water and foreign particles. It also assists in the cleaning and lubrication of the ear canal. Usually, excess wax is removed from the ear canal naturally. If a buildup does occur, the earwax will become hard and block&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":156,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"(256) 536-9300 Huntsville | (256) 772-1884 Madison | An earwax blockage can be painful. 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