Introduction
A small amount of wax in the ear canals is normal. Wax impaction can occur in children and adults and sometimes cause a feeling of blocked or itchy ears, and in severe cases, reversible hearing loss. Patients who try clean their own ears with cotton buds tend to make the problem worse by pushing wax further in. The ears have a mechanism whereby they move wax outwards by themselves, so one should not try clean their own ears.
Treatment
Many General Practioners are very experienced at syringing ears in adults and get excellent results. Occasionally syringing can cause complications such as dizziness, worsening otitis externa or tympanic membrane perforations (a hole in the eardrum). If you have had your ears syringed and your experience pain or worsening blockage, then review by an ENT Specialist is recommended.
Dr Levin has state of the art microscopes and suction equipment for wax removal. Dr Levin can also safely remove wax in young children and will usually use plastic curettes which are safe and not painful. To make it even more comfortable for you or your child, you may wish to apply some wax softening drops such as Cerumol or Waxsol (over the counter) for a few days before seeing Dr Levin.