Ear wax FAQs
MICROSUCTION EAR WAX REMOVAL - FAQS



Q. Is it safe?
A. Yes!  With traditional syringing (usually referred to as 'irrigation' these days), the high-pressure stream of water inevitably has to impact the eardrum, which is a sensitive and delicate structure.  Some estimates suggest that syringing causes in the region of 10,000 perforations each year in the UK.  With microsuction, the suction probe doesn’t have to go near the eardrum: it attaches to the blockage, allowing it to be drawn directly out of the ear.  This means no physical trauma, making the procedure more comfortable and safer to repeat regularly.  It also makes microsuction a safer option for those with permanent perforations or a history of ear surgery (eg. grommets, myringoplasty, mastoidectomy, etc).



Q. Who will carry out the procedure?

A. At Calder Hearingcare, wax removal procedures are only ever carried out by a qualified, experienced audiologist who has undergone further training and certification to provide this service.  This ensures that our clients receive professional advice and safe, effective practice.  We're registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, and are a member of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists.  Unfortunately, ear wax removal is currently a regulatory grey area, which means that there's technically no legal requirement to undergo any approved training to perform the procedure.  BSHAA, our professional body, is in the process of establishing a UK register of approved wax removal practitioners in order to offer some kind of guidance and reassurance to the public.



Q. I've tried elsewhere to get a wax removal appointment for my child, but was told they'll only deal with over-18s.  Do you offer this service for chidren?

A. Yes, but with some caveats.  Recently there has been a change in medical insurance cover for practitioners, resulting in some being unable to carry out wax removal procedures on minors.  We are fully covered to treat under-18s, but - for reasons of safety - generally we will only deal with children of school age.  As well as the need to be able to sit still during treatment to minimise the risk of physical injury, the procedure can also be quite noisy, which many youngsters can find distressing.  We always like to have a chat with parents before making an appointment to allow them to judge how their children will cope with the process.



Q. How often do I need to have wax removed from my ears?

A.  Impossible to say!  It's one of those individual things: for many of the people we see, it's literally a once-in-a-lifetime event, perhaps after exposure to an unusually dusty environment (eg. having building work done at home).  Other people may just produce an unusual amount of wax, or have very narrow ear canals allowing a relatively small amount of wax to cause problems regularly.  We have a small number of clients we see repeatedly every five or six months.



Q. I never used to have problems with ear wax, but I have had to have wax removed several times in the last few years.  Is there something wrong with me?

A. Probably not.  It's known that age can be a factor in this: as you get older your ear wax tends to become drier, which can begin to cause perceptible problems in later life.



Q. Do I need to use oil in my ears before having microsuction?

A. Putting a few drops of pharmaceutical olive oil or almond oil in you ears the night before the procedure can make removal quicker and easier.  In rare cases where the wax is extremely hard and compacted, it may be necessary to use oil for a few days to make removal more comfortable.  However, in the vast majority of cases, microsuction removes wax without any prior treatment.


 

Q.  How quickly can I be seen?  I've heard it can sometimes take weeks to get an appointment.

A.  Some of the big high street companies can have lengthy waiting lists.  At our Glasgow and East Kilbride clinics, we guarantee an appointment within a week of enquiry, but more often than not, you'll be seen within a couple of days.  Same-day appointments are very often available, so it's always worth trying.



Q. My friend went to an alternative therapist to have her ear wax removed using a ‘Hopi candle’.  Would you recommend this?

A. There's been precious little clinical research into the effectiveness of Hopi candles for removing ear wax.  Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that the process is essentially harmless (although it's noteworthy that the FDA in the United States has effectively banned their use on the basis of safety concerns arising from a small number of incidents), but there are question marks over it's usefulness.  The Hopi tribe in the USA has also gone to some lengths to disassociate itself from the practice.

The 'candle' used is actually a cloth tube which has been impregnated with beeswax or paraffin wax.  The tapered end of this is inserted into the ear canal and the other end is lit, the theory being that the flame melts the ear wax and creates negative pressure in the canal which draws the wax out into the tube, which then appears as a brown deposit after the procedure.  However, some experiments seem to show that this deposit is actually part of the candle itself, since it can appear regardless of whether the candle is burned while inserted in an ear or not.  It’s also unlikely that any practitioner of this treatment would be able to offer video otoscopy to prove that the ear wax has actually been removed.


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