Not being able to hear out of one ear due to a wax blockage can be aggravating. It is normal to have some ear wax inside the ear. Ear wax is a self cleaning mechanism. The ear is constantly making wax Tiny hairs push the wax out of your ear along with any dust, dirt, or other debris out with it. However, if there’s an overabundance of ear wax, it needs to be taken care of. Excess wax can cause a temporary partial hearing loss. If the blockage isn’t cleared out, the possibility of an ear ache or an ear infection can increase.
Growing up, I was taught to never put anything in my ear canal that was smaller than my finger. Cotton swabs are not recommended to remove ear wax. Cotton swabs are small, and you don’t want to stick them into the canal of the ear. This could actually push the wax further into the ear, causing it to become compacted. If the ear wax gets too compacted in the canal, it gets very difficult to remove, and you most likely will have to have a doctor do it. There’s also a chance of the tip of the swab breaking off and becoming lodged in the ear canal if you push the swab in too far. There are several safe remedies for getting rid of ear wax.
Ear Irrigation With Warm Water
Perhaps the easiest of the ear wax removal home remedies is to simply use water and a bulb syringe. Fill the bulb syringe with warm water, and stick it just outside of the ear canal. Push the water out of the syringe so it flows into the canal. When it flows out, you should see bits or even clumps of ear wax fall out. You may want to flush the ear a few times. To get the wax off of the outer part of the ear, wet a wash cloth and wrap it around your forefinger. Lightly rub the outer portion of the ear canal to wipe away the wax.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Sometimes the ear wax is easier to remove if it’s been loosened up a bit first. Hydrogen peroxide is good for doing this. Try just the warm water first, and if there’s still s blockage, drip just two of three drops of hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal. You may want to mix it with a little bit of water. Tilt your head to one side and drip the hydrogen peroxide in. You should actually hear a crackling sound. This is the wax breaking up and getting looser. Leave it in for about two or three minutes, then tilt your head to the other side and let it drain out. Flush your ear with warm water to get the hydrogen peroxide and ear wax out of the ear.
Paraffin Oil (or any other mineral oil):
Paraffin oil is available at any drug store and can be used to remove ear wax. Heat about two or three tablespoons of the oil so it’s only a few degrees above normal body temperature. Fill up a small dropper (eye dropper or ear dropper) with the warm oil. Tilt your head to one side and drip the oil into the ear canal. Leave it in for about five minutes, then let it drain out. Flush the ear afterward with warm water, so the wax and oil are washed away.
Apple Cider Vinegar
You can also clear out ear wax by using apple cider vinegar and water. Use a one to one ratio of water and apple cider vinegar to flush the ear with this solution. This will not only help remove the wax, it will also bring back the ear canal’s natural pH level.
You can avoid the aggravation of ear wax blockages by keeping your ears clean. Every ear is different. Some people may produce a lot of wax, other people may only produce a little. You may want to flush your ears once a month, or maybe twice a month depending on how fast your ears produce wax. One thing is for certain, you don’t want to wait too long, or else you could get a severe blockage and end up having to have a doctor flush it out.
Photo by schani
