With the arrival of the summer, you may present to an ENT with ear fullness, irritation, discomfort, reduced hearing, or pain caused by ear wax buildup.
No matter how essential ear wax is for the optimal health of your ears, excess of it is going to give you annoying symptoms. This is especially true if the wax becomes impacted.
So, do you have stubborn ear wax that does not seem to go away on its own? Also, do you want to dissolve it and enhance the ear's self-cleaning function? If yes, this article has the solutions for you.
Let us talk about "what dissolves ear wax fast" and some ear wax removal kits to remove this dissolved wax.
What Dissolves Ear Wax Fast?
Here are 3 methods to dissolve ear wax fast at home.
Warm Water Irrigation
You can simply try dissolving ear wax with plain warm water irrigation if the wax in your ear is excessive but not hard or impacted. While warm water irrigation to remove ear wax can be done at home, it is also one of the professional methods done at ENT clinics.
Moreover, you cannot put warm water directly into your ear. Rather, you need an ear wax syringing kit with a soft bulb. You also need to take measures to keep your ear dry after water syringing to prevent an increase in the amount of wax.
Ear Wax Softening Drops
Before trying any other method of ear wax removal, almost everyone is advised to use ear drops to soften and dissolve the ear wax. There are several ear wax softening drops, and these include,
- Oil: Many oils are used in routine, including olive oil, mustard oil, mineral oil, almond oil, and more. All of them gradually soften the hard ear wax.
- Hydrogen Peroxide: Some chemical solutions like hydrogen peroxide and sodium bicarbonate work more effectively in softening and even breaking ear wax, causing blockage.
- Over-the-Counter Ear Drops: If you do not want to use oil or chemical solutions in your ears, using over-the-counter ear drops can help as they contain an optimal concentration of chemicals to dissolve ear drops.
In the case of ear drops, you have to use them 2 to 3 times every day for a few days.
Micro-Suction
At times, using ear wax drops either becomes impossible or the drops are too slow to work. For example, people with an injury to the tympanic membrane or perforated ear canal cannot use drops as they might cause worsening of the symptoms.
Similarly, people with extreme pain or infection in the ear cannot wait for weeks for the wax to soften. In such cases, micro-suction can help in dissolving and breaking ear wax fast.
Also, it is important to note that micro-suction is mainly done by a professional.
Remove Ear Wax with Ear Wax Removal Kits
Here are 3 types of ear wax removal kits. All these kits are available for home and professional use.
1. Bebird Note5 Pro Ear Camera Wax Removal Tool
Bebird Note 5 Pro ear wax removal tool is a pen-shaped tool with a head and neck having attachments to remove ear wax and foreign bodies from the ear. In addition, it has an HD camera located at the junction of its body and neck.
This camera helps in locating and diagnosing ear wax impaction without damaging the ear canal. Similar cameras called otoscopes at used in professional settings.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are the step-by-step instructions on using the Bebird Note5 Pro Ear Wax Removal Tool to get rid of the wax build-up at home.
- Setting Up the Camera: Unbox your device and scan the code given on the package. Install the Bebird camera app, connect it to Wi-Fi, and set it up.
- View Inside the Ear: Turn on the Bebird device, go to the "view" mode on the app, attach the spoon to its head, and insert it into your ear. While looking at the camera screen, examine the ear wax, its quantity, contents, consistency, and other features.
- Using Correct Attachments: While you can remove a small amount of soft wax with the spoons, you need to use tweezers to remove hard or impacted wax. So, choose the attachment that fits your needs.
- Removal of the Ear Wax: There are navigation buttons located on the upper side of the handle. You can press them to close the tweezers and release the pressure to open them. Using these tweezers, remove the wax carefully.
- Storage: After removing the wax, clean its head, keep it in its stand, and store it in a cool and dry place.
2. Ear Wax Suction Cleaner
Although ear wax suction systems are mostly used in clinical settings because of safety concerns, some of them can be used at home if you are careful enough. These systems are small ear-friendly vacuum cleaners with variable suction pressures.
Also, they are designed ergonomically to remove soft wax from the ear and serve as a relatively safe alternative to using Q-tips randomly. One of the catches of such devices is that they lack a camera to look inside the ear while you are sucking the wax out.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The instructions to use ear wax suction systems are given as,
- Softening Ear Wax: Suction of the ear wax is only safe if the wax is soft. Therefore, use the ear drops mentioned above to soften the wax beforehand. Additionally, you can use the ear spoon of the Bebird ear wax camera to loosen the wax.
- Setting up the Suction System: Once you are sure that the wax is soft, set up your device. For this, you need to choose a certain suction pressure and try it on your hand before inserting it into the ear.
- Removing the Wax: Now, put the nozzle of the suction system into the ear carefully. Do not go too deep. Move the nozzles along the sides of the ear and remove the wax.
- Storage: Wash the nozzle of the suction system under wax, let it dry, and store it well.
3. Ear Irrigation System
Both manual and electrical ear irrigation systems are available to remove ear wax on the market. While the manual systems use a plastic syringe with a soft bulb, the electric systems are powered by a motor. Thus, the efficiency of such devices is better.
In addition to the irrigation device, these systems come with a small tray that makes the procedure mess-free. Also, ear irrigation just like ear wax suction requires the wax to be soft.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Soften the Ear Wax: Your ear wax must be soft if you want to use an irrigation syringe to remove it at home. In the other case, use any oil or hydrogen peroxide for a few days to soften it.
- Set-up the Ear Irrigation System: These devices come with a small container to put water that helps in irrigation. So, use lukewarm to warm water to fill the container. Also, attach its nozzle, preferably the silicone nozzle.
- Change Your Position: Tilt your head slightly in the direction of the ear with wax. Keep the kidney tray under your ear, and begin the procedure.
- Irrigate the Ear Canal: Insert the nozzle of the ear irrigation system, and press the button given on the device to put water into the ear. Do this for a few times, and tilt the head a little more. The wax will follow out from the ear into the tray.
- Dry Your Ear: Clean the outer ear with a towel.
Conclusion
Dissolving the ear wax is a method to remove stubborn ear wax from the ear. The foolproof methods to dissolve the ear wax fast include warm water irrigation, using ear softening drops, and micro-suctioning the wax.
Several kits are available to perform these procedures to remove excess wax in the ear. We have discussed all such kits in this article.
