Earwax: Should It Be Removed?

Authors and Disclosures

W. Steven Pray, PhD, DPh Bernhardt Professor of Nonprescription Products and Devices College of Pharmacy Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford. Joshua J. Pray, PharmD candidate College of Pharmacy Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford

Sidebar: The Use of Ear Syringes

Most nonprescription earwax removal products come with ear syringes, but the devices are also sold separately. They may be used after application of carbamide peroxide to remove loosened cerumen. The syringe is filled with warm water, and the tip is carefully inserted into the ear. The bulb is squeezed gently to create a slow stream of water, rather than forcefully to create an abrupt stream, which could rupture the eardrum. Ear syringes should not be used if they cause pain or dizziness, or if the patient has a perforated eardrum, or drainage, bleeding, pain, or irritation in the ear.

Sidebar: What Should You Do About Earwax?

Although most people believe that earwax is unacceptable, earwax actually helps prevent infection. Trying to remove earwax with cotton-tipped applicators can lead to cerumen impaction, which can cause hearing loss.

Many people see earwax as a nuisance that is cosmetically unacceptable. They use such devices as cotton-tipped applicators, attempting to remove every trace of earwax after their morning showers. The brown stain on the cotton applicator is seen as a sign of success.

Dangers in Earwax Removal

Trying to remove earwax every day is actually dangerous. Earwax serves an important protective function in your body. It helps fight bacterial ear infections and protects the inside of the ear. Removing it can make you more prone to swimmer's ear and other ear infections.

Earwax moves outward naturally. You can disrupt this process by placing objects in your ear to try to remove it. Doing so can create a hard clot of impacted earwax. Impacted earwax can cause you to experience impaired hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ears, itching in the ear, or ringing in the ear.

Dangerous or Ineffective Removal Techniques. Removal of impacted earwax is unsafe if done incorrectly. Using cotton-tipped swabs is ineffective and can be dangerous, increasing the risk of infection. You should not use oral irrigators, as they can result in a hole in your eardrum. Hollow, wax-soaked cloth tubes called ear candles can be purchased at some health food stores and pharmacies, as well as thousands of Internet sites. Ear candles are claimed to remove earwax, but they actually cannot do so. Physicians find that the burning wax from the ear candle can enter the ear and cause ear burns and a hole in your eardrum. They should never be used under any circumstances. The value of olive oil (sweet oil) is unknown, but it is not as dangerous as irrigators and candles.

Safe Earwax Removal

To clean ears on a daily basis, use a wet washcloth over your finger while taking a shower. In cases of excessive earwax buildup, there are several legitimate products marketed to remove impacted earwax at home, such as Debrox, E•R•O, Flents Ear Drops, Mack's Wax Away, and Murine Ear Drops. They all contain an ingredient known as carbamide peroxide, considered by the FDA as safe and effective for earwax removal. It is similar to hydrogen peroxide placed on a skin wound, in that it releases oxygen when it is placed into the ear. The foaming action gently causes the earwax impaction to loosen, so that it can be washed out.

Earwax removal products are only for those over the age of 12 years. They should not be used if the patient has ear drainage or discharge, ear pain, irritation or rash in the ear, or an injury or perforation of the eardrum. These products also should not be used by patients who are dizzy or have had ear surgery.

To use the products, the patient may lie on the bed with one ear pointed upward. Five to 10 drops of the product are placed into the upward ear. They are allowed to remain for several minutes, followed by gently washing the ear with warm water from an ear syringe that is supplied with some of the packages. This can be repeated twice daily for up to four days if needed. If excessive earwax remains after this, you should consult a physician.