Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a yellowish waxy substance secreted in the outer part of ear canal of humans and other mammals. It has a tendency of coming out the ear on its own with the help of muscles and skin movement of the ear. It protects the skin of the human ear canal, as well as assisting in cleaning and lubrication.

Excessive earwax may block the passage of sound into the ear. It is also estimated to be the cause of 60–80% of hearing aids faults.

How to remove the blockage?

People often go for ear drops and ear buds - “good luck!” The most popular way is by ear syringing, that's not always comfortable and doesn't always work. Imagine the water has to be forced on your ear drum, hopefully gets behind the wax and pushes it out.

Micro-suction combined with wax ring picking is by far the best procedure for ear wax removal. It is gentle and thorough. We use Otologic Microscope and Vorotek O-Scope to guide us to remove the blockage without damage your ear canal and ear drum. It is a safe procedure with minimum discomfort.

I often got asked: why don't you use Micro-Suction for me in the first place? Generally we say, suction will be used when I can tell the wax is loose and ready to come out. But every so often, the ear wax is compacted and can not be sucked out easily. I will need to loosen it up with tools as a start. Excessive suction can be loud and uncomfortable or even can cause dizzy spells.

Do I need to use ear drops before the wax removal?

No; ear drops can make the wax muddy and messy, which can go deeper on the ear drum, then be very hard to clean out.