Ear Wax Removal – Microsuction
Ear Wax Removal – Microsuction
Microsuction is a safe, quick and painless method of removing a build-up of ear wax in the ear canals using a medical suction pump, suction wand and an ear endoscope to enable observation by the practitioner. This sterile vacuum breaks down and removes the ear wax very gently from the canals. This method was traditionally only used in hospitals or ent clinics; however, it has now become more widely available as a service in private ear clinics. Microsuctioning is considered to be the safest and fastest method of ear wax removal by far, leaving you with clean ear canals before any air travel.
Earwax is naturally occurring and serves an important purpose. On occasion earwax can build in the ear canal and can cause hearing loss or discomfort. For many people, microsuction offers a quick and long-lasting solution to hearing loss. Years of excess wax build up can be gently removed - providing an immediate improvement to their quality of life. It helps to protect and clean the inside of the ear by creating a natural protective layer. Other wax removal treatments such as syringing often completely clear the canal of all wax, leaving no protective layer inside the ear. Microsuction is a much more controlled treatment which allows your audiologist to carefully remove excess wax whilst preserving a necessary level of protection.
The wax microsuction clinic at lyca health canary wharf, in association with london ear centre, offers a comprehensive service for the timely and efficient management of problematic ear wax. Our expert audiologists use this gold standard wax removal method to ensure that any build-up of ear wax is removed as quickly and as safely as possible.
If you’re suffering from a blocked ear or impacted ear wax, our audiologists are fully trained in microsuction ear wax removal and can help you safely remove the blockage and get you back to feeling normal.
The benefits of microsuction ear wax removal
We mainly use microsuction as our preferred option as it is cleaner, non invasive and significantly quicker than irrigation and find that most people find it more comfortable. Our recommendation if you have wax is to put olive oil, or preferably sodium bicarbonate ear drops in to your ears 2 to 3 days prior to your appointment as this will aid removal.
Clinical ear care, otherwise known as wax removal, can be very beneficial to people using hearing aids to increase the usefulness of their aids. We call wax removal clinical ear care as we are able to use a variety of techniques in one session. These techniques may not all be needed and we would try for microsuction ear wax removal first.
A comprehensive medical history will be taken microscopic examination of the inner ear canals and ear drums gentle removal of the earwax with a surgical microsuction unit. The pharmacist will wear a pair of illuminated microscopes, namely “loupes”, and air will be heard rushing through the suction wand during the procedure. There may be an occasional mild ‘pop’ as the wax is sucked through the probe. Generally, the appointment will be painless.
The procedure is traditionally performed by ent doctors or nurses via the nhs using high-magnification binocular operating microscopes, although there is a growing number of private audiologists and hearing aid dispensers in the uk now also performing microscopic and microsuction ear wax removal using magnifying glasses (loupes). Loupes are limited in the terms of both the magnification and distance (depth) of view they can provide inside the ear. However they remain popular due to their portability and relative inexpensive compared to an operating microscope. Both operating microscopes and loupes provide stereoscopic vision which aids depth perception.
Simple And Safe Microsuction Ear Cleaning Service
Micro-suction ear wax removal is one of the safest methods of ear cleaning and it is an ideal method of wax removal for people who have had a perforation to their eardrum or who have had any mid-ear surgery. Microsuction uses no water for the ear wax removal and there is no mess and little fuss.
How to remove ear wax using microsuction
As medical professionals working in ENT we get asked “how to remove ear wax?” almost everyday. We only practice and promote microsuction as this is the most effective way of maintaining aural hygiene. What is microsuction? ‘micro’ – because we use microscopes, ‘suction’ – because we use a finely calibrated suction device, to vacuum out the wax.
Earwax (cerumen) coats and protects the inside of your ears; it does not usually need to be removed. Removal is only necessary when you develop large amounts of earwax, which make your ears feel blocked. Too much earwax can develop due to a very narrow or abnormally shaped ear canal, frequent use of earplugs, cleaning ears with cotton buds or for other unknown reasons. Often home treatment can remove earwax. If home treatment does not work, you should make an appointment to see a qualified professional.
Ear wax is a natural bodily secretion which, if it builds up, can cause problems with hearing, ear ache, tinnitus and dizziness. In most cases it removes itself, but in others it may have to be removed by a trained ent health professional.
Usually, microsuction does not even require pretreatment of ear drops. A fully qualified audiologist, will look into the ear canal through a binaural microscope (either fixed or with glasses) and, using a very fine suction device at low temperature, will safely remove the wax.
With the ear wax removed, any symptoms caused by the wax disappear quickly. If you are prone to ear wax build-up your doctor may recommend using ear drops to keep the wax soft and help it remove itself, but this advice will only be given if drops are right for you.
Earwax should be removed if it is totally blocking the ear canal and one of the following: the person is symptomatic (with conductive hearing loss, earache, tinnitus or vertigo) the tympanic membrane is obscured by wax but needs to be viewed to establish a diagnosis the person wears a hearing aid and an impression needs to be taken for a mould, or wax is causing the hearing-aid to whistle.
