# Do you have to be careful at removing earwax? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348 "2017-07-15T20:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/41 "2017-07-19T00:33:53Z")
I’ve also had tinnitus for over 10 years, and have had ear wax removed a couple of times, once by syringing and once by curet. I didn’t notice any change in my tinnitus after these procedures. Honestly, I can’t imagine how any type of ear wax removal could increase tinnitus, which is mostly a function of the brain in response to hearing loss, not the ears. If anything, I would expect that clearing the wax would improve hearing and therefore reduce tinnitus. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/42 "2017-07-19T01:24:38Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Q-tips? > > My mother used to use the curved end of bobby pins to scoop out her earwax! :eek: > > She got away with it all her life. Me, never had the guts to try it. > > I will confess to Q-tip use. Were we separated at birth? As an FYI, some medieval ear wax removers looked like little scoops. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/45 "2017-07-20T19:39:02Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I’ve also had tinnitus for over 10 years, and have had ear wax removed a couple of times, once by syringing and once by curet. I didn’t notice any change in my tinnitus after these procedures. Honestly, I can’t imagine how any type of ear wax removal could increase tinnitus, which is mostly a function of the brain in response to hearing loss, not the ears. If anything, I would expect that clearing the wax would improve hearing and therefore reduce tinnitus. May be it is people who have really bad tinnitus or people who had complications with removing earwax. If 99% of the members on this forum had earwax removed and it did not caused tinnitus or caused tinnitus to get worse or louder. May be it is only people who have really bad tinnitus or people who had **complications** when removing earwax or the **person had some kind of hearing loss.** ---
**Author:** ![ArtBeforeScience](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@ArtBeforeScience](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArtBeforeScience)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/46 "2018-05-25T17:09:13Z")
Another problem not yet mentioned. Ear wax protects against fungal infection. I used to clear out my ear wax using a number of non-approved methods and eventually ended up with ear canal swelling and black goo. One symptom was my ear was constantly seeping fluid, and my hearing was dulled. The ENT specialist vacuumed it out with some tool or other and explained me why earwax is useful. She gave me some antifungal drops which are actually over the counter, although Walgreen’s staff have no idea what you’re talking about if you ask for it. And I can’t remember the name of it now! Basically same stuff they put in anti-yeast vaginal suppositories for women. Sorry if this is gross or TMI. It was a real problem for me and now I can manage it and keep my ears healthier. ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/47 "2018-05-27T00:35:13Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Q-tips? > > My mother used to use the curved end of bobby pins to scoop out her earwax! :eek: > > She got away with it all her life. Me, never had the guts to try it. > > I will confess to Q-tip use. Ha!My mother used to use the pointy end of a straight pin. I asked her once if hurt, her reply, “Only if I don’t do it right.” I occasionally use the plastic tooth pick attachment of my Victorinox pocket knife, my earwax tends to be dry and flaky so it’s easy to dislodge. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/48 "2018-05-27T05:29:31Z")
Am I the only one who **doesn’t** have a problem with ear wax? Mine generally falls out on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/49 "2018-05-27T05:52:11Z")
I went scuba diving and afterwards had real trouble getting the water out of my ear. Hotel doctor comes by, sticks a [rubber-bulb syringe](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51P-AVLt4NL._SX355_.jpg) in my ear and squirts warm water into it. It was not “painful” but was very uncomfortable and loud. But a few squirts and an alarmingly big and nasty chunk of earwax plops out. It was a revelation. My hearing the after that was noticeably better to the point things sounded a little weird (after a day it all settled in to normal). So I make it a point now to clean the ear out about twice a year or so. You can buy an over-the-counter thing for it with earwax drops and a rubber-bulb syringe. Fill a glass with luke warm water (cold or hot will hurt). Use the drops to loosen things up ahead of time. Then squirt the water with some force into your ear. It will sound and feel like hurricane pressure and if you are using enough force might be a little uncomfortable (don’t go to painful). Do it over a sink to catch the runoff. It may take repeated flushings. But usually after a good, solid 4-5 shots or so a nasty lump of ear wax plops out. It really is disgusting but a relief to be rid of. All that said my GF figured she should do the same since she had never done it and nothing happened. For whatever reason her ear canals were close to pristine naturally. I guess it varies from person to person. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/50 "2018-05-28T01:22:47Z")
> [@Ornery\_Bob](#): > > _So no one here who has Tinnitus their Tinnitus got worse or louder after removing the earwax?_ > > I’ve had serious tinnitus for 20 years and at one time I also had a wax build up issue at one time and the wax didn’t affect the tinnitus either way. > > I’ve used olive oil, hydrogen peroxide, syringes large and small, and I finally settled on the Elephant Ear pressure washer. > > The excessive wax buildup issue cleared up on it’s own and now I occasionally use curved end of a paperclip method. Generally speaking, the tinnitus gets worse for me after I remove the wax with a 25 minute diluted hydrogen peroxide soak, a warm water squirt, and a shower. For a few hours. It’s better (i.e. unnoticeable) after a couple of days or less. I recommend that those wishing medical advice visit the Mayo Clinic website: > **[Earwax blockage-Earwax blockage - Diagnosis & treatment - Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/earwax-blockage/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353007)** > > Learn simple steps for treatment and self-care of this common problem, including earwax removal. I am not a doctor. I’ve used this device: > **[Amazon.com: EZY DOSE Ear Wax Removal Syringe Tri-Stream Tip, Prevents Ear...](https://www.amazon.com/EZY-DOSE-Tri-Stream-Infections-Effective/dp/B000SOJXGA)** > > Buy EZY DOSE Ear Wax Removal Syringe Tri-Stream Tip, Prevents Ear Infections, Safe and Effective, Easy to Use, Perfect for Kids and Adults, 20mL Capacity Clear, BPA Free on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders As for risks, yeah there are risks. So be careful: [INDENT][INDENT][INDENT] A postal survey of 312 general practitioners who served 650 000 people in Edinburgh found that problems associated with ear syringing were failure of wax removal (29%), otitis media (17%), perforation of the ear drum (15%), and trauma to the external auditory meatus (11%) Although 85% of general practitioners organised ear syringing, only 19% did it themselves—they usually delegated this procedure to practice nurses Severe injuries can result from syringing using an oral jet irrigator with a dental tip (whose original purpose was to remove dental debris). Trauma should rarely occur with the electrical oral jet irrigator with a special tip specially designed for ear wax removal, as this does not develop pressures above a safe level … _Complications of syringing_—Adverse effects are common. Perforation of the ear drum, otitis externa, damage to the external canal, pain, deafness, vertigo, and tinnitus are all possible complications. [/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT] [10-minute consultation: Removal of ear wax - PMC](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC116671/) > [@Flyer](#): > > Am I the only one who **doesn’t** have a problem with ear wax? Mine generally falls out on its own. My understanding is that most people don’t have this issue at all. But I have it and so did my grandfather. ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/51 "2018-05-28T13:29:39Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Q-tips? > > My mother used to use the curved end of bobby pins to scoop out her earwax! :eek: > > She got away with it all her life. Me, never had the guts to try it. > > I will confess to Q-tip use. I once saw a friend remove boogers with a pocket knife. Top that! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/52 "2018-05-28T20:09:52Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Q-tips? > > My mother used to use the curved end of bobby pins to scoop out her earwax! :eek: > > She got away with it all her life. Me, never had the guts to try it. Actually, the curved end of a bobby pin is quite similar to a [Jobson Horne Probe](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jljop78bblw/TdZzVDKHbUI/AAAAAAAAABA/fb5urxQlqpY/s1600/Ear+probe4.jpg), the instrument ENT doctors often use to remove impacted earwax. But she probably paid a lot less for her bobby pins than the $40-$50 that instrument costs. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/53 "2018-05-29T16:53:48Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Am I the only one who **doesn’t** have a problem with ear wax? Mine generally falls out on its own. It’s rare, but not unheard of for that to happen to me. Feels pretty good. Except for that one time, during a job interview… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/54 "2018-05-29T17:00:53Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Actually, the curved end of a bobby pin is quite similar to a [Jobson Horne Probe](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jljop78bblw/TdZzVDKHbUI/AAAAAAAAABA/fb5urxQlqpY/s1600/Ear+probe4.jpg), the instrument ENT doctors often use to remove impacted earwax. But she probably paid a lot less for her bobby pins than the $40-$50 that instrument costs. That’s practically the same thing you said last July! Except for not mentioning how much the things cost. And in response to the same post! **Broomstick** , I think you better thank him, or acknowledge his response in SOME way. Otherwise, he’s liable to keep coming back every year with this. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AirFarce1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airfarce1/32/298_2.png) [@AirFarce1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AirFarce1)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/55 "2018-05-29T17:33:30Z")
As a SCUBA diver, I always have “ear beer”; 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar for post-dive ear comfort. Occsionally, a giant chunck of wax falls out afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/56 "2018-05-30T21:44:33Z")
> [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](#): > > Even Q-tips can be a problem, and even though they are unlikely to injure, they can cause problems. For example, they can push the wax into a pile closer to the eardrum Happened to me all the time as a kid, Mum was very keen on clean ears. She had the nerve to be annoyed when I told her not to do it to my daughter. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2018, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348/57 "2018-05-31T13:19:32Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Actually, the curved end of a bobby pin is quite similar to a [Jobson Horne Probe](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jljop78bblw/TdZzVDKHbUI/AAAAAAAAABA/fb5urxQlqpY/s1600/Ear+probe4.jpg), the instrument ENT doctors often use to remove impacted earwax. But she probably paid a lot less for her bobby pins than the $40-$50 that instrument costs. I’d be completely comfortable using a clean bobby pin to pull crap out of my ears. I don’t usually get wax build up, but the insides of my ears itch. Sometimes just a little, sometimes horribly. > [@AirFarce1](#): > > As a SCUBA diver, I always have “ear beer”; 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar for post-dive ear comfort. Occsionally, a giant chunck of wax falls out afterwards. I just use rubbing alcohol from the bottle (about 70% alcohol, 30% water) I used to get ear infections ever summer, until I started drying my ears with alcohol after I swim. It really gets all the water out. (ymmv – once, when my kids had ear infections and my ears hurt, and got the pediatrician to look in my ear. He said it wasn’t infected, but “your kids inherited your lousy ear canals”. So I may have more trouble with water getting stuck up there than most people.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-be-careful-at-removing-earwax/791348.md?page=2)