How to dissolve my earwax fast?

Which drops or sprays dissolve earwax the fastest? Is it even a good idea to use something that dissolves earwax fast? Would the earwax 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 earwax 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 earwax blockage?

Earwax blockage can be frustrating, uncomfortable and even painful. If both of your ears are blocked with earwax, you'll struggle to hear. If one ear is blocked with earwax, it's hard to work out where sounds are coming from, which is 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 earwax 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 earwax. More aggressive ear drops may seem like the solution, but they can irritate some people, as well as cause potential side effects. So, which drops or sprays should you use to soften your earwax?

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

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

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 (which makes earwax harder) and by gravity it tends to go deeper.

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

What solutions can dissolve earwax?

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 agonising 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 earwax.

• 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 earwax.

• Hydrogen Peroxide ear drops, including OtexExpress®, Earex® Advance, Exterol, Cl-Ear Express, etc. These products profess to dissolve and break up earwax, but although they dissolve earwax 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 one side, so the ear canal then acts as a funnel, directing softened earwax 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 earwax. Being sterile and highly refined, olive oil ear drops are very safe, but they won't dissolve your earwax 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 earwax

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

• 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 ear earwax 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 earwax 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, which is simply due to the drops causing the hard earwax to relax and make an even 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 earwax fast. The main downside, like all ear drops, is that the blockage may worsen and softened earwax can be pulled deeper into your ear by gravity as you have to put your head on one 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 earwax 100%?

Yes and no. Using Otex Express or sodium-bicarbonate ear drops is an effective way to soften the earwax. If the earwax 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 help).

In my experience, if the earwax 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 earwax. 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 help, e.g. ear wax microsuction.

Microsuction Ear Wax Removal (Crystal P)

Book Now

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

Olive oil only relaxes and moves the earwax molecules, but Otex Express and sodium bicarbonate break down the earwax 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 earwax molecules and break them down. This chemical interaction results in the release of some gases (very little), which is why you hear the fizzy sound.

How should I use sodium bicarbonate drops to clear my earwax?

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 penetrate deeper and hopefully around the column of the earwax.

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

This is a very case-by-case experience. Sodium bicarbonate ear drops can clear the deposition of the earwax in your ear in a matter of 2 to 3 days, or never. If the earwax blockage is deep in 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 bicarbonate for 3-4 days. In such a case, your best option would be to visit a local audiologist or ear clinic for microsuction earwax 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 an opportunistic ear infection. The other risk of extended use of these ear drops is that the earwax 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 earwax buildup, which needs to be cleaned out regularly. The best way to reduce the frequency of 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 earwax flow out by itself?

Now that you have read all you need to know about how to dissolve earwax fast, you may be thinking that with so many options to soften your earwax, you should just soften it and let it flow out. The ear canal has a gentle slope down and out away from the eardrum. 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 make the softened ear wax flatten, 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 can help to clear the earwax. In such a scenario, the best is to contact your local hearing care professional for an ear wax microsuction.

Can the earwax microsuction be done in my home?

We provide earwax removal in the comfort of your home. You can book a home visit for earwax 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.

Ear Wax Removal Microsuction (Crystal P)

Book Now