Dear Member,

Cleaning the ear canal is vital and requires a high level of competence and skill by a professional. The accumulation of cerumen or earwax in the ear canal is one of the most observed problems in patients, and ignoring it may cause hearing loss, irritation, and discomfort. Several techniques have been used to clean the ear canal, including irrigation, i.e., curettage, water pick, and syringing. Many patients cannot clean their ear canals through a natural self-cleaning process.

The body produces earwax, also known as cerumen, to collect and trap dirt and bacteria in your ear. Inserting a cotton swab or any other object into your ear risks damaging the eardrum or ear canal by pushing earwax further into the ear, making it even more difficult to remove and risks perforations to the ear drum. NICE does not recommend ear syringing either. Therefore, professionals can use techniques such as ear microsuction to support their patients to help keep the ear canal clean.