How to dissolve my ear wax fast?

Which drops or sprays dissolve earwax the fastest? Is it even a good idea to use something that dissolves ear wax fast? Would the ear wax flow naturally if I dissolved it? In my opinion, Otex-Express and Sodium-Bicarbonate ear drops would be my advice to soften and clear your blocked ear with earwax. Read through this article to learn more about why and how.

Where does the ear wax come from?

The cells inside the ear canal are unique in the human body - they migrate. "You could put an ink dot on the eardrum and watch it move over a few weeks and it would be 'carried out' by the movement of the cells." according to Prof Shakeel Saeed at London's Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital (ref. link). If this didn't happen the mini cul-de-sac of the ear canal would soon fill up with dead cells created by the natural process of skin shedding.

This movement also propels the wax - produced by the modified sweat glands which line the ear canal - towards the outside. It's thought that normal movements of the jaw - through eating and talking - assist with this movement.

What are the risks of not doing anything about the ear wax blockage?

Earwax blockage can be frustrating, uncomfortable and even painful. If both of your ears are blocked with ear wax, you'll struggle to hear. If one ear is blocked with ear wax, it's hard to work out where sounds are coming from, which is obviously a safety hazard if you are driving or crossing the road, and also a real struggle and very frustrating when someone is talking to you on the side you have your blocked ear. It can be very disorientating, and some people may feel unsteady or dizzy, and generally out of balance. It's understandable to want to be rid of your ear wax blockage as fast as possible.

The skin at the entrance of the ear canal is thin, and the further you go down the ear canal, the thinner it gets, going down to a tenth of a millimetre at the eardrum. There are softer and stronger products to soften your ear wax. More aggressive ear drops may seem like the solution, but they can irritate some people, as well as other potential side effects. So which drops or sprays should you use to soften your ear wax?

What part of the ear canal is blocked when there is excessive or a blockage of ear wax?

Often, the accumulation of ear wax happens in the external half of the ear canal. Despite the natural downward slope of the ear canal towards your concha bowl, the ear wax can migrate in both directions, especially when it is made soften.

About 80% of the patients that I attend to with ear wax microsuction have ear wax blockage only on one side or it is more severe on one side, here is why. If you tend to sleep on the right-hand side, then over a good part of your sleep the right ear is on the pillow; it is in a warmer place (hence the ear wax gets softer) and by gravity, the ear wax tends to come out. On the other hand, the ear on the left side is exposed to room temperature, it is in a cooler environment (that makes ear wax harder) and by gravity it has a tendency to go deeper.

Another medical precaution to be aware of is when softening your ear wax.

What solutions can dissolve ear wax?

Some of the stronger earwax dissolving drops can affect the protective layer of the ear canal and put you at risk of an opportunistic skin infection, while some aggressive formulae can cause an extreme sensitivity reaction that is very painful and looks like an agonizing sunburn, complete with peeling skin. Some of the following drops and sprays might seem like familiar household names, read on to find out if they are effective or even suitable for softening your ear wax.

• Antibiotic drops & sprays eg. Sofradex®, Otomize® & Ear Calm Sofradex® drops and Otomize® spray are the two most common medicines prescribed to treat otitis externa, the medical name for an infection of the outer ear, which includes everything up to and including the eardrum. They contain a combination of skin steroids to reduce swelling and itching, an antibacterial to stop the growth of bacteria, and an antibiotic to kill bacteria. These, as well as other generic ear medications, can only be obtained from a pharmacy on prescription, and are specifically designed to treat ear infections, so while they are great for treating infected ears, they don't do much to dissolve ear wax.

• Hydroxen Peroxide ear drops, including OtexExpress®, Earex® Advance, Exterol, Cl-Ear Express etc. These profess to dissolve and break up ear wax, but although they dissolve ear wax faster than saline, the peroxide they contain can cause painful, severe sensitivity reactions that look like sunburn when viewed using an ENT microscope. Also, like all ear drops, the method of application requires you to put your head on a side, so the ear canal then acts as a funnel, directing softened ear wax onto the eardrum.

• Non-sterile cooking oil: refined olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, extra virgin coconut oil, vegetable oil Traditionally, it used to be recommended to warm up some olive oil and drop it into the ear using a spoon or pipette. Extra virgin olive oil is cold-pressed and hasn't been pasteurised or processed using solvents. This preserves all the delicate plant ingredients that are so good for our health but also leaves in small amounts of plant matter. Once opened, the bottle can become a home for yeast and bacteria floating in the air. This is not a problem when we cook with it or put it on our salad, as our stomach acid kills mould spores and bacteria. However, non-sterile olive oil from your kitchen should be kept for your cooking and not put in your ears, as any professional who has seen a fermenting ear will tell you.

• Olive oil ear drops eg. Cerumol® olive oil, Otex® olive oil Sterile, pharmacy-grade olive oil ear drops will safely and gently soften ear wax. Being sterile and highly refined, olive oil ear drops are very safe but they won't dissolve your ear wax fast. They also have the same problem as any ear drops: you have to put your head on a side for the drops to go into the ear, which funnels any softened ear wax deeper into your ear, potentially making your hearing worse as the ear wax slides down the ear canal as it gets narrower and narrower.

More effective formulas for softening your ear wax

Finally, we arrived at more commonly used formulas for softening your ear wax:

• Sodium bicarbonate ear drops - Sodium bicarbonate (also known as bicarbonate of soda) ear drops work by creating a chemical reaction with the ear wax: the alkaline bicarbonate drops react with acidic ear wax to produce salt plus water. Sodium bicarbonate often affects within a day or two. The first impression that the patient feels is that the blockage of his or her hearing is worsened and the reason is that the solvent makes your ear wax crack and expand. Sodium bicarbonate should only be used for two to three days prior to an earwax removal procedure, as long-term use can alkalise the ear canal surface and put you at risk of opportunistic skin infection in your ear. For this reason, we don't generally recommend sodium bicarbonate ear drops unless the ear wax is very compacted and even after 2 weeks of using Earol it is still hard and not moving.

• Otex Express - The active ingredient in Otex Express include urea hydrogen peroxide (5% w/w). The other ingredients are 8-hydroxyquinoline and glycerol. Otex Express can be as fast and effective as Sodium-bicarbonate ear drops. Also, the use of Otex Express should be limited to 3 to 5 days to avoid increasing the chance of opportunistic outer ear infection. Same as sodium-bicarbonate drops you may notice that the blockage of the ear gets worse that is simply due to the drops causing the hard ear wax to relax and make even a better seal in your ear canal.

• Cerumol® ear drops - The original Cerumol® ear drops are a mixture of Arachis (peanut) oil and other ingredients. It has a very medicated smell, which you may or may not like, but it is very good at dissolving ear wax fast. The main downside, like all ear drops, is that the blockage may worse and softened earwax can be pulled deeper into your ear by gravity as you have to put your head on a side to get the drops in. You should also not use products containing peanut oil if you have a peanut allergy.
  

Can Otex Express and sodium-bicarbonate ear drops clear ear wax 100%?

Yes and no. Using Otex Express or sodium-bicarbonate ear drops is an effective way to soften the ear wax. If the ear wax deposition is mostly in the ear canal's outer half, there is a good chance that part or most of it starts flowing out (a steamy shower can definitely help).

In my experience, if the ear wax deposition is deep in the inner half of the ear canal then the Otex Express or sodium-bicarbonate drop may not even reach deep into the inner half of the ear canal simply because the whole length of the ear canal is sealed off by ear wax. In such a case extended use of the ear drops has a very slim chance of a successful clearing of a blocked ear, you likely need professional held e.g. ear wax microsuction.

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Which one is more effective on ear wax, olive oil or Otex Express?

Olive oil only relaxes and moves the ear wax molecules, but Otex Express and sodium bicarbonate break down the ear wax molecules.

When I drop sodium-bicarbonate drops in my ear I hear a fizzy sound, why?

Otex Express and Sodium-bicarbonate ear drops will have a chemical interaction with ear wax molecules and break them down. This chemical interaction results in the release of some gasses (very little) that's why you hear the fizzy sound.

How should I use sodium-bicarbonate drops to clear my ear wax?

My advice is to use three or four drops of sodium bicarbonate twice daily for 2 to 3 days. Each time you use the drops, lie on one side of a bed/sofa, apply as instructed, and allow the solution to remain in your ear for 5-10 minutes while you gently massage your outer ear. The massage would help the sodium-bicarbonate solution to penetrate deeper and hopefully around the column of the ear wax.

How fast sodium-bicarbonate ear drops can clear a blocked ear with ear wax?

This is a very case-by-case experience. Sodium bicarbonate ear drops can clear the deposition of the ear wax in your ear in a matter of 2 to 3 days, or never. If the ear wax blockage is deep into the ear canal then the sodium bicarbonate has a hard time reaching deep into the inner part of the ear canal. This is likely the case if you see no results in unblocking your ear canal after using the sodium bi-carbonate after 3-4 days. In such a case, your best option would be to visit a local audiologist or ear clinic for microsuction ear wax removal.

What is the risk of using sodium bicarbonate or Otex Express ear drops?

I do not recommend using sodium bicarbonate for more than 2-3 days or Otex Express for more than 3-5 days. Extended use of these ear drops increases the chance of sensitivity reaction of the skin in the ear, and/or increases the chance of opportunistic ear infection. The other risk of extended use of these ear drops is that the ear wax blockage might become very soft and move deeper (instead of coming out) and sit over your eardrum. This is likely when the blocked ear is on the opposite side of the side you tend to sleep on.

I have to clean my ears regularly, what solution can I use to soften the wax, olive oil?

People with narrow, bendy, hairy and dry ear canals are more in trouble with excessive ear wax buildup which needs to be cleaned out regularly. The best way to reduce the frequency of the cleaning is a routine oiling. The best oil to apply in the ear canal regularly is almond oil. Please read more about a regular oiling plan for your dry ear canal in this article.

Does softened ear wax flow out by itself?

Now that you have read all you need to know about how to dissolve ear wax fast, you may be thinking that with so many options to soften your ear wax should I just soften it and let it flow out? The ear canal has a gentle slope down and out away from the ear drum. In the days of applying the active ear drops make sure you take a hot and steamy shower the next morning (you would apply the ear drops at night before you sleep). Exercise would also be very helpful as it increases the body temperature and the movement and shaking makes the softened ear wax flattened and the gentle slope of the ear canal would encourage the ear wax to slide out.

In extreme blockages of the ear canal, all the above cannot help to clear the ear wax. In such a scenario the best is to contact your local hearing care professional for an ear wax microsuction.

Can the ear wax microsuction be done in my home?

We provide ear wax removal in the comfort of your home. You can book a home visit for ear wax removal in South London (see our service area) now. Our recommendation is the following regime: 3-4 days of Earol spray, 3 squirts in each ear 2 times a day before the day of your ear wax removal appointment.

Disclaimer: The above recommendations are based on our clinical best practices and by no means should or can be considered medical advice. Patients are highly encouraged to contact their own GP to seek medical advice.

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