What Are the Treatments for Cerumen Impaction?

Cerumen impaction occurs when hardened wax (cerumen) blocks the outer ear canal. The wax builds up in the ear canal, causing you to have trouble hearing, ringing in your ears or even pain. The treatment involves physically removing the ear wax or using wax softening drops.

Scooping

• Using a curette, a surgical instrument with a scoop, ring or loop at the tip, a health care professional can safely scoop out the hardened, impacted wax. This manual removal technique does not allow any moisture into the ear; therefore, it lessens the risk of an ear infection. The treatment allows the medical expert to see what she is removing, increasing the chance of eliminating the impaction. It is important to not apply too much pressure to the ear canal when removing the wax so as not to cause any trauma or accidentally cause an ear drum rupture.

Suction

• The suction method vacuums the wax blockage out of the ear canal. A small plastic tube, connected to a suction machine, sucks the hard wax out of the ear. This also does not leave behind any moisture, so the ear stays dry and is less likely to develop an infection.

Irrigation

• Irrigation, or ear syringing, uses warm water to wash the hardened wax out of the ear. You can use this method at home or seek treatment in a doctor's office. If you are doing it yourself, pull the outer ear upward and outward to give better access to the ear canal, and periodically check to see if you have removed the impaction--irrigation is risky, especially if done when the hardened wax no longer exists in the ear canal. This method can cause pressure build up in the ear canal and lead to a ruptured eardrum. A ruptured eardrum may cause a lot of pain, drainage from the ear or hearing loss.

Wax Softening Drops

• If the impaction is not visible or is severe, you can use wax softening drops. use the drops alone or as a pretreatment to the physical removal methods. The drops soften the wax, making it easier to remove; in some cases the wax will soften and drain out of the ear on its own. Water-based drops soften the wax by slowly dissolving it. Oil-based drops soften and lubricate the wax so it can slide out of the ear or be removed easily.