Ear wax (or ‘cerumen’) is a naturally occurring substance that is produced by the ceruminous and sebaceous glands of the outer ear canal. It protects the ear canal by lubricating, cleaning, and fighting bacteria.
Many people produce more earwax than is necessary or have a problem getting rid of it. As a result, the wax gradually builds up to form a solid mass instead of being disposed of in everyday life as normal. There are many reasons for this, including working in a dusty environment, overuse of headphones, hairy ear canals or just simple aging.
Another common occurrence is the overuse of cotton swabs or buds on the ears; much of the time, this can result in wax being pushed farther into the ear canal. This can result in serious complications.
If you experience any of the following, you are advised to contact one of our specialists as soon as possible:
A feeling of ‘fullness’ in the ear
Ear pain, soreness or earache
Hearing difficulties
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Itchiness inside the ear
Liquid discharge from the ear
Noticeable odour from the ear
Dizziness
Vertigo
Nausea
If any of these hearing issues seem familiar to you, there may be an underlying problem. However, don’t think that this means you have hearing loss! The underlying issue could just be an earwax problem. Don’t worry, because at Hear4U, earwax removal is our specialty!
You can find out about our different removal methods below.
Only with a full picture of your ability to hear can we give you the best solutions for you and your needs.
We offer a complementary in-depth hearing evaluation designed to assess the full function of your hearing system and whether your hearing difficulties are down to excess wax build-up or another underlying condition.
The diagnostic assessment is made up of several tests that give us the information we need to fully evaluate your ears. This is to allow us to understand exactly what is going on with your hearing so that we can find the best solutions for you.
With a full and clear diagnosis, we can then assess whether the solution to your problem is just an earwax removal or if further treatment is required.
Visit us at one of our clinics and enjoy the full boutique service, with a nice cup of tea and Biscoff!
Unable to make a visit to one of our clinics? Then don't worry - we'll come to you.
We take you through the various steps that happen during your earwax removal. See below for an explanation of each stage and why we need to perform it. Understand what happens on the day, and feel at ease and not kept in the dark!
First of all, we’ll need to know what your history is. This is especially important if you have any pre-existing conditions such as a ruptured ear drum or ear infection, as it may mean we need to use a different method of ear wax removal. Furthermore, we’ll also need to know if any other removals have been attempted.
Next, we’ll need to take a look at your ears! For this we’ll use an otoscope – a specialised instrument, similar to a small telescope, but designed to give an in-depth view of the inside of the ear – with a built-in video streamer so that you can see – what we see!
After the inspection, we’ll discuss with you in detail what the options are and what we feel is the best way forward for you. Then we’ll use the best method available to remove the wax! The process varies from method to method, but should typically take no more than 15-30 minutes provided that you’ve taken adequate measures beforehand.
Following the removal attempt we’ll then use the video otoscope in order to check the progress of the removal to ensure that the job is done, and share with you the results. It may be that multiple methods are required in order to fully remove the wax, or an additional appointment if it’s too dry or hard to get rid of on the first go. We’ll guide you through every step of the way.
The next step will be to discuss a personal action plan for what will happen in future. For instance, if you have had water irrigation, then it may be recommended that you apply coverings to your ears before using a shower or bath. However, each recommendation will depend on your personal circumstance and the method used.
Once the session is concluded and advice given, you should be well on your way to recovery! We’ll also organise a follow-up session (either in person or over the phone) to make sure that the removal worked for you and the desired effect was achieved with no further complications.
It didn’t take that long, and it was all done. To have one ear done (earwax removed), and then I decided to have both ears done just like that.
I don’t think we’d get anywhere better really, it’s an ideal setup. Travel a small distance by car or taxi, whatever you feel like. It’s ideal for us and anybody else, it’s (The Hear4U Centre) right in a central place.
Thoroughly recommend them. The ability to hear clearly and immediately was brilliant.
