Earwax is doing exactly what it’s supposed to until it isn’t. Most ears handle it without any help, but some people’s ears just tend to hold onto it. When that happens it can affect your hearing more than you’d expect.
We deal with this a lot across the South Willamette Valley. A quick evaluation tells us what’s there and the best way to take care of it.
Signs and Symptoms of an Earwax Blockage
When earwax accumulates and forms a tight plug, it can significantly impact your daily comfort and hearing. Because the ear canal is sensitive, even a small shift in the blockage can cause sudden changes in how your ear feels.
If you are experiencing an impaction, you will typically notice one or more of the following warning signs:
- Decreased hearing
- A feeling of fullness
- Tinnitus
- Earaches
- Dizziness or vertigo
Risks of Cotton Swabs and Home Remedies
Reaching for a cotton swab when your ears feel full usually pushes the soft wax deeper, packing it tight against the eardrum. Over time, this creates a hard plug that blocks sound and becomes much more difficult to remove.
Inserting objects into your ear canal carries a high risk of scratching sensitive skin or puncturing your eardrum. Our cleanings ensure that the blockage is removed safely by someone who can see inside the canal.
Professional Irrigation for Safe Clearance
Professional ear irrigation isn’t the same thing as the rinse kits you find at the drugstore. We use specialized tools to control the pressure and temperature, which means we can clear stubborn buildup safely and get it right the first time.
Before we begin, we may use targeted drops to soften the hardened material for a more comfortable process. Our audiologists gently stream warm water along the walls of the ear canal to flush out debris without putting direct pressure on your eardrum.
Precision Manual Removal with Curettage
For situations where irrigation is not ideal, like a history of a perforated eardrum, we use manual removal. This technique involves using a curette, which is a tiny, loop-shaped instrument designed specifically for the structure of the ear.
Using lenses and a light source, the specialists can see inside the canal throughout the procedure. We carefully guide the instrument to hook and pull the wax out directly, sometimes using gentle suction. Because we have a clear view, we can remove the impaction safely without irritating the surrounding tissue.