Otoscopy (ear examination) with Ear Wax Removal
Serving patients throughout Caversham, Emmer Green and Reading
The wax in your ears is an amazing natural substance, designed to remove dead skin cells as they slough off from the eardrum. It also protects the skin in your ear canals from infection and foreign objects.
There are hairs in the ear canal that are designed to move in such a way as to push the wax out of your ears. If this mechanism stops working, then the wax can accumulate along with the dead skin cells and eventually block the ear canal. This is one of the things that can affect your hearing.
Using an olive oil spray, available everywhere, is an efficient way of lubricating and loosening the wax so that the hairs can start working again. If you are someone who is prone to a wax buildup, then the recommendation is to use an olive oil spray once a week as a preventative.
The exception to this is if you wear hearing aids, as these can block the natural flow of wax out of your ear. You need to take the advice of your audiologist as to the olive oil ear lubrication, as the oil may block your hearing aid.
Never push cotton buds or anything else deep into your ear, as this will compact the wax. The hairs cannot work, and you will get a blocked ear.
These are the services offered to adults over 18 years old by dentists and therapists at Prospect Street Dental Practice, who have been trained in wax removal by TYMPA.