Your doctor may treat your earwax blockage in
the office, or instruct you on how to do this at home. If your doctor has
reason to believe that your eardrum isn’t intact, they will likely have to
remove the earwax to make sure you don’t damage this important and sensitive
structure.
Home Care
You can use several substances to soften and
remove earwax at home, including:
- mineral oil
- glycerin
- baby oil
- over-the-counter earwax removal kits (Debrox, for example)
Use an eyedropper to insert a few drops into
your ear canal twice a day for four to five days to soften the wax. Once the
wax is soft, it should come out on its own within a few days. If this doesn’t
work, you can try putting a little hydrogen peroxide in your ear to remove the
wax.
Another home care option is irrigation. Fill
a rubber ball syringe with warm water, tilt your head, and pull your earlobe up
a bit so that you can direct the water into your ear canal. You’ll likely have
to repeat this procedure a few times. Dry your ear thoroughly after attempting
to remove the earwax blockage.
preventing earwax blockage
If you know you are prone to earwax blockage,
you should consider preventing the buildup by irrigating your ear regularly. This
may reduce the chances of the wax becoming hard and clogging your ear.
Another way to prevent earwax blockage is to
avoid sticking anything in your ear, including the cotton swabs that many
people regularly use to clean out wax. In many cases, this tactic can actually
push wax further into your ear, causing an obstruction. Instead, you should use
a wet cloth or tissue to gently clean your ear.
