If you experience pain or discomfort as a result of earwax, or suspect you have a blockage, it's important that you see your audiologist as soon as possible to address the issue. Removing earwax doesn't have to be painful and should bring you relief.

Cerumen, also known as earwax, is naturally produced by the glands in the ears to lubricate the ear canals and keep dust and debris and water from getting too far down in the ear canal. Everyone needs some cerumen to protect their ears.

Most times, cerumen falls out of the ear on its own and doesn’t cause problems. In some instances, cerumen or earwax can accumulate and cause a blockage. These blockages can cause temporary hearing loss and earaches. 

There are special tools for cleaning out the earwax. Q Tips should NEVER be used to clean out the ears. Instead of cleaning the wax out, they push the wax further into the ear canal which can cause the blockage to worsen or even hurt the eardrum. 

Dr. Cam will use one of these three methods to remove earwax: 

• Curettage 
• Irrigation
• Suction 
  

1. Curettage is the most common technique for removal of cerumen. A curette is a long, curved tool that is used along with lighted magnification which allows Dr. Cam to gently scoop cerumen from the ear canal, removing the blockage.
   

2. Irrigation is another common method used to remove blockages especially when the blockage is deep in the ear canal. Unlike at-home earwax removal kits, Dr. Cam may use stronger earwax removal medications in conjunction with irrigation. 
   

3. Suctioning out the earwax is also an option. Dr. Cam uses a long, thin nozzle that fits in your ear to suction out the wax. It works like a very small vacuum to get out the earwax. 
   

If you experience pain or discomfort as a result of earwax, or suspect you have a blockage, it's important that you see your doctor as soon as possible to address the issue so it doesn’t lead to more serious conditions or ear infections.  

Removing earwax doesn't have to be painful and should bring you relief.