Hydrogen Peroxide
A common misconception is that using hydrogen peroxide as a ear wax removal tool is fine as it is an ingredient in specified ear wax drops.
However, it is not safe to use concentrated hydrogen peroxide in your ear outside of medically approved treatments that contain it. The ear drops purchased over the counter from healthcare professionals contain exactly the correct amount of diluted hydrogen peroxide which has been tested and deemed safe to use in your ears. Using this as a product on its own can be dangerous and is not advised at all!
It is not recommended or deemed safe to put concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution into your ear directly because it can cause various issues such as irritation and discomfort, ear infections, ear drum damage, temporary hearing loss, dizziness and tinnitus. If you already have an ear injury or an infection, it may cause an increased level of pain.
If you are concerned about blocked ears you can contact Welling Ear Wax clinic in Welling, who can give you advice on what treatment is best for your issue. They also offer microsuction ear wax removal, which often relieves people of whatever ear wax issue they are facing. Welling Ear Wax Clinic have been serving microsuction ear wax treatments to the people of Essex, London and Kent with incredible results!
Candles
An older, more traditional method was to use an ignited candle to melt the wax in the ear. We would advise against using candles to try and remove earwax as medical science has advanced way beyond the need to put yourself in danger of any burns or issues caused by the candle wax. There’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that it’s even an efficient way to remove wax, so the need to place your face near a burning flame has no benefit.
Cotton Buds
Cotton buds were the preferred method for ear wax removal for decades. You may have used them religiously when you were a child. However, a cotton bud can pose a lot of unnecessary risk of damage to your ear health. Cotton buds can often push the wax further into the ear canal and cause heavy build up, or even damage, to your eardrum.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a very accessible ear wax treatment due to most people having this available within their home. Olive Oil can be sometimes used to soften earwax, but the common misconception is that it will dissolve or remove it. Softening the earwax can help it remove itself naturally while you sleep or in the shower, but often, stubborn or hard to reach ear wax won’t benefit from this method.
Instead, olive oil can be effective in softening ear wax ready for a further treatment, such as water irrigation or microsuction removal.
However, even olive oil is not advised if you have a history of ear infections or if your eardrum is damaged at the time of potential use.
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