Earwax Treatments

That brown, sticky substance sticking out of your ears is not dirt. It's cerumen, or in layman's terms, earwax. Earwax is secreted by skin glands in your ear canal, and it aims to protect the ear canal from infection and carry away any impurities, like dirt, that may have settled in your ear. Normally, earwax dries and falls out of the ear on its own. However, there may be times that there is an overproduction of earwax, and treatment may be necessary to clear it from your ears.

Drug Store Remedies

• Over-the-counter earwax softeners often come in the form of a liquid solution that is very effective in dissolving the most viscous of earwax buildup. If you have pain, or the discharge does not look like earwax, please consult with a health care professional because eardrop solution may actually be harmful if the buildup is caused by a ruptured eardrum or some other trauma.

Home Remedies

• If you don't feel like making a trip to the pharmacy, you can make a safe earwax removal solution in your own home. Take a small amount of baby oil or mineral oil and mix it with the same amount of warm water. Slowly apply two drops of the solution to the ear with the wax buildup, then allow the solution to drain out. Try this treatment twice a day for a couple of days, and all should be clear.

No-nos

• Cotton swabs, pins, or other small objects should never be used to clear earwax from the ear. Using these means will usually push earwax against your eardrum instead of removing it, and earwax against your eardrum can damage the eardrum and cause pain, headaches, and ringing in the ears (medically known as tinnitus). Ear candling, using a flame to create a vacuum to remove earwax, is not effective and is potentially harmful.

Consult a Physician

• Please consult a health care professional if your wax buildup is hard or dry, or if you experience pain, dizziness, ringing, or itching in the ear canal. These symptoms may be a sign of something more serious than a little extra sludge in the ear.