Patient Education

Public Health questions? Guelph-Wellington Public Health

A respected source for health information: the Mayo Clinic

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join Big White Wall, a safe and anonymous peer support community that is accessible anytime anywhere
call HERE247 anytime to access Addictions, Mental Health and Crisis Services, 1-844-437-3247

Parenting questions? CARING FOR KIDS provides parents with information about their child's and teen's health and well-being. The site is developed by the Canadian Paediatric Society - the voice of more than 3,300 Canadian paediatricians.

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Call Guelph Women in Crisis 24 hour Crisis Line #519-836-5710 or toll free # 1-800-265-7233 to see a Senior Rural Support Worker.

Facts about Earwax

What is earwax and earwax impaction?

 Earwax helps protect the insides of the ears and prevents injury or infection.

 Earwax impaction is when earwax builds up enough to cause symptoms, such as:

trouble hearing
pain in the ear
hearing a ringing noise in the ear
feeling like the ear is plugged or blocked

 Young children and older adults are more likely to have earwax impaction

Can I treat earwax build-up at home?

 Yes, only if you do NOT have a history of a hole in your ear drum, tubes in your ears, or ear surgery. If you have a history of any of the above, please book an appointment with your healthcare provider.

What can I do to remove impacted earwax?

 Recommended strategies for earwax removal are listed below. All of these products can be purchased at your local drug store.

a. Mineral oil, olive oil or Cerumol ear drops: Tilt head to the side so the affected ear is facing upward. Drop 3-4 drops of oil or Cerumol into the ear. Plug the ear with a cotton ball or tissue, and leave overnight. Repeat nightly for 3-4 nights. Once wax is softened, gently rinse with warm shower water and tip head to drain.

b. Hydrogen Peroxide: Tilt head to the side so the affected ear is facing upward. Use an ear dropper to apply 3-4 drops of hydrogen peroxide mixed with equal amount

water in the ear. Wait 15-30 minutes, and gently flush with warm water using a bulb syringe. Note: Hydrogen Peroxide can bleach the surrounding hair.

c. Murine Ear Drops: Tilt head to the side so the affected ear is facing upward. Use the dropper to apply 5 drops in the ear canal. Wait 5-10 minutes, and then gently flush with warm water using a bulb syringe. Repeat daily for 3-5 days.

What NOT to do?

 NEVER use Q-tips or other small objects to scratch the ear canal as they may push wax further into the canal and/or

damage the eardrum.

OHIP no longer covers routine ear syringing, so please try these methods first. If they are unsuccessful, please speak to your healthcare team.

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