3 Reasons You Should See an Audiologist for Earwax Issues

Earwax is a natural product that provides a protective and moisturizing barrier to your ear canal.

Typically, the ear is self-cleaning, which means you don’t need to push anything into the ear canal. You only need to remove the earwax that has been pushed out and lies in the inner ear. However, there are specific situations where we recommend consulting an audiologist to receive professional ear cleaning. It is instrumental to good ear health:

• It prevents debris and bacteria from reaching deep into the ear canal.
• It absorbs dead skin and small particles and pushes them outward.
• It maintains the skin and tiny hair inside the ear canal moist.

What Is an Earwax Issue?

It is recommended to focus only on the inner ear when you want to clean your ears at home. This means two important things:

• You do not need to touch the ear canal or push anything into it.
•  You can easily wipe your inner ear clean while showering.

An earwax issue occurs inside the ear canal. As a result, it is out of your reach because the American household does not have the specialist tools and training to proceed to safe ear cleaning in the canal.

Earwax Blockage or Earwax Impaction

An earwax blockage occurs when too much earwax builds up inside the ear canal. When this happens, the buildup gets stuck and the earwax is not pushed outward. This will affect your hearing ability and can lead to unpleasant symptoms, like:

• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Ear pain or ringing in the ear
• Feeling of fullness in the ear

An audiologist can help remove the buildup with ear cleaning tools for immediate relief.

Hearing Aids & Earwax Issues

If you wear hearing aids inside your ear, especially inside the canal, it is essential to maintain good ear cleaning hygiene. The hearing aid could prevent the earwax from being pushed outside the ear canal, and this can lead to buildups into the canal.

Additionally, you could inadvertently push small debris or dirt into your ear as you remove or are inserting your hearing aids. So, it is essential for your hearing health to work with an audiologist who can proceed to regular ear cleaning for you. Determining the right frequency for professional cleaning will depend entirely on your individual situation.

Exposure to High Levels of Debris

Debris constantly circulates in the air. However, if you have been exposed to extreme weather events or critical situations such as an earthquake, a flood or even a sandstorm, your ears could be dealing with a lot of debris that the earwax can handle. When this happens, it can lead to buildups and blockages inside the ear canal.

Therefore, an audiologist can help safely remove the excess debris and preserve your ear health. They can also recommend protection measures if you are likely to be exposed to high debris environments again, such as someone working with sawmills or providing fire repair services.

Earwax issues can occur for a variety of reasons. It is essential to reach out to an audiologist for a safe and professional ear cleaning appointment. We strongly advise against trying to remove excess earwax or debris from your ear canal at home, as it could cause irreparable damage to your ear.