Effective ear irrigation: Tips & risks

Earwax plays a vital role in your ears' overall health and wellness. It lubricates and cleans your ear canal and protects your ears from foreign particles that can make their way in and cause damage.

In some cases, though, you may have too much earwax, or it may become impacted, causing discomfort. Foreign objects regularly worn in the ears—like hearing aids, earbuds or ear plugs—can trigger the overproduction of wax and may intervene with the natural clearing-out process.

If you’re experiencing discomfort resulting from too much or impacted earwax, your provider may recommend ear irrigation, a routine procedure that involves using a liquid-filled syringe to flush excess wax out of the ear canal.

In this article, we will look closer at ear irrigation, how it works, how to do it safely and some risks associated with cleaning your ears.

The primary purpose of ear irrigation is earwax removal. Too much earwax can cause issues, including:

• Hearing loss;
• Headaches;
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus);
• Discomfort or fullness;
• Reduction in hearing aid functionality;
• Inability of provider to evaluate your ears.

Removing excess or impacted earwax through irrigation can provide immediate relief from symptoms and allow healthcare providers to examine the ear properly. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, consult with your provider about whether ear flushing is the right choice for you. 

Ear irrigation can take place at home or in your doctor’s office. While having a doctor or hearing professional clean your ears is the safest method, there are also over-the-counter earwax removal kits you can purchase to perform an at-home ear lavage procedure. To do this, start by loosening the earwax with a few drops of water, saline solution or hydrogen peroxide. You can do this by soaking a cotton ball and allowing the drops to fall into your ear. Keep your head tilted while the drops have a chance to work, then turn your head to the other side and let the liquid and wax fall out. If the wax is not coming out on its own, try loosening the wax with mineral oil, baby oil or commercial ear drops.

If you’ve been given the okay by your provider and want to try ear irrigation at home, there are a few important things to remember:

• Never try to dig out earwax with an object like a cotton swab;
• Use room or tepid temperature water. Cold or hot water can induce vertigo;
• Do not put anything in your ear if you have an ear infection, a damaged eardrum or have been advised against at-home irrigation by your doctor;
• Never insert the syringe into the ear canal. Instead, stay near the opening;
• Don’t use forceful pressure when squirting water into the ear;
• Stop if you feel pain, pressure, or dizziness.

A safer and often more effective method is to receive ear irrigation at your doctor’s office. Your provider will have specialized tools and expertise in flushing out excess wax from your ears. Ear irrigation procedures typically take only a few minutes. 

If your hearing care provider has told you that you may attempt earwax removal at home, below are some techniques you can try.

Earwax removal is a common practice for ENT specialists. In fact, about 150,000 earwax removals take place each week in the U.S. If you’re experiencing symptoms associated with too much earwax, seek out advice from your doctor.

If you’ve tried ear irrigation, ear flushing or cleaning earwax at home and are experiencing new or worsening ear pain, ringing or hearing loss, seek treatment immediately. Questions about ear irrigation or ear health? Consult with a Miracle-Ear hearing care professional today to ensure your ears are healthy and clear.