Ear Wax Removal

H

HKfornow

Registered User
My son's doctor usually comment that he has earwax, and everytime I ask them, what should I do about it, they say "nothing". However, about a year ago the doctor did ask the nurse to clean it (irrigation) and it took 4 people to hold my son down for that, so I don't really want to do that again!!

So I'm looking for over the counter remedy that can help remove ear wax so we won't have to go through the irrigation again. Do you moms have any products that you've used on your kids that you could recommend? Thanks!
 
Hydrogen peroxide, about 5 drops, let it sit in the ear for awhile and then dump it out. Works on normal ear wax. Do it monthly and it should keep the ears clean.
They make stronger stuff, usually a "swimmer's ear" thing, but I am not sure what the name is in HK.
If it is a problem,might want to have the doctor clean the ears again and then use the hydrogen peroxide to keep it clean.
 
Hi

ear wax is normal, and you really shouldn't need to clean it out. Think of the ears as self cleaning. The problem arises when you insert cotton buds or anything into the ear which compresses the wax and stops it moving outwards. In the UK doctors recommend once weekly olive oil to soften the wax and never inserting anything into the ear. ear drops from the chemist do work but can be irritant.
 
They do make stuff to clear the ear canal, I just don't remember what it is called in HK. I have seen the commercials on TV.
Might just run to Watsons and ask.
And whilst the system is self-cleaning in most people, there seems to be a certain % of the population where the system doesn't work as well.
 
I am a licensed audiologist in the US and currently practicing in Hong Kong. The general rule for the ear is NEVER STICK ANYTHING SMALLER THAN AN ELBOW IN THE EAR. I have seen horrible complication from earwax removal done by parents. For starter, an infant's ear canal is very narrow and if you put a q-tip in the ear canal, you end up pushing it further down, making it dry and pushes towards the eardrum. Earwax is a natural material that our body produce to prevent dirt and hair from getting to the bony portion of the ear canal (which you usually would not be able to reach since the ear canal is bendy and the bony part is past the second bend of the ear canal... however, if you do reach it, your child will jerk, since it's very delicate and sensitive).

Also, do not put any eyedrops in the ear canal either. What is doing is to mix the drop with the wax, making the wax to expand and becomes more mushy and does not help the natural wax to come out carrying the debris in the ear canal.

I have always told parents to NOT do anything at home. Also, do not allow your GP, any nurses or pediatricians to remove earwax for your child. The only person that should remove the wax is an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. They usually use a special air suction system to remove earwax, which is a lot safer than irrigation. In addition, they are trained to do so. The reason we do not recommend irrigation is that we use a water irrigation system to test the balancing system in adults (shooting water down the eardrum will activate the balancing system in the ear and makes the patient very dizzy). If the nurse accidently shoot the water down in the wrong angle, it will make the child very uncomfortable. ENTs are a little more expensive, but they are worth the money if you are concern about your child's earwax. If you find your child's earwax being very hard, we recommend using the dropper and put 2-3 drops of olive oil in the earcanal 3-5 days before you visit your ENT doctor. It helps soften up the earwax and makes the suction a lot more comfortable.

If you leave the earwax untreated or keep pushing it towards the eardrum, it will cause a CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS. Such hearing loss is usually temporary and hearing goes back to normal once removed. However, a conductive hearing loss can cause a maximum of 60 dB HL decrease in hearing, which is siginificant for a child who is at a critical age for speech and language development. So take your child to see an ENT and have him examine the ears. If the wax is completing occluding the eardrum, he would remove it for you. Otherwise, it's nothing to worry about.
 
drcookie said:
Hi

ear wax is normal, and you really shouldn't need to clean it out. Think of the ears as self cleaning. The problem arises when you insert cotton buds or anything into the ear which compresses the wax and stops it moving outwards. In the UK doctors recommend once weekly olive oil to soften the wax and never inserting anything into the ear. ear drops from the chemist do work but can be irritant.
Click to expand...

I agree with drcookie I get blocked ears quite regularly due to small canals and have had problems in the past with both syringing and ear drops. I now use olive oil on recommendation from my Doctor and this is definitely best, most natural and least painful. I will pm you the instructions for best use ;)
 
Thanks for all the input. I guess I will wait for my son's next doctor appointment and ask for an EENT referral to get the wax removed, and then do maintenance from then on.

When you talk about putting olive oil, are we talking about regular cooking type variety of olive oil?

Northern Angel, thanks for the PM.
 
how can we keep up maintenance of the earwax? i also have problems w/ small canals. this is the first time i've heard of using olive oil, regular cooking olive oil? how do you use it?
 
cooking olive oil is good enough

Use a dropper to put 2-3 drops of oil with the child leaning sideway (ie the treated ear up towards you) and allow the oil to sink in for about 10 minutes. The oil is just loosening hard crusty earwax. If your child has oily, soft earwax, do not use the olive oil.
 
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