Cerumen

Ear wax, or cerumen, is a normal product of a healthy ear canal. Cerumen is made up from oil secreted from the glands in the outer portion of the ear canal, along with skin cells and hair.

In most cases the ear canal is self-cleaning. As skin moves from the eardrum towards the outer ear it takes with it any wax that has gathered in the ear canal. Jaw movements help this process by dislodging debris that is attached to the wall of the ear canal.

We strongly recommend that you avoid:

• The use of cotton buds. My mother always told me not to put anything smaller than my elbow in my ear (for good reason)! Cotton buds disrupt the natural cleaning process of the ear canal, and can cause cerumen to be impacted.
• Syringing. Those who conduct syringing cannot see what they are doing, as they do it. There is the chance of a perforation of your eardrum with this method
• Ear candling. The American Academy of Otolaryngology indicates that not only is it dangerous, there is no scientific evidence that it works

If you create a lot of cerumen, use cotton buds, or wear hearing instruments you may find that your ear wax does not migrate from your ear canals effectively. In this case we recommend that you have aural toilet (ear cleaning!) carried out under a microscope, using microsuction.