Can Ear Wax Removal Improve Your Hearing?
Everyone’s ears produce ear wax. Also known as cerumen, ear wax is your body’s natural defence against issues such as dust and bacteria, with the wax preventing dirt from entering the ears and causing problems.
Normally, ear wax falls out by itself, often without you even noticing. But sometimes, wax can build up and become trapped, blocking the ear canal. There are a number of reasons why this might happen – it might be that your ears produce excess wax, or it may be the result of trying to clean your ears with cotton buds, which actually pushes wax deeper into the ear. Whatever the cause, ear wax blockages are not only uncomfortable, but can also cause hearing problems.
If you’re struggling with blocked ears, we can help. Here at the Welling Ear Wax Clinic, we specialise in microsuction, a safe and effective method of ear wax removal.
So, can having your ear wax removed lead to improved hearing? Let’s find out.
Can I hear better after ear wax removal?
If your hearing loss is caused by ear wax, removing it
should help to improve your hearing. However, if there’s another issue
affecting your ability to hear, wax removal might not make a lot of difference.
If you’re experiencing hearing loss and ear wax is the
culprit, having it removed will result in an immediate improvement in your
quality of hearing.
Am I going deaf, or is it wax?
While ear wax is a major cause of temporary hearing loss, it
may be difficult to tell whether ear wax is really the problem, or whether you
may instead be going deaf. The good news is that there are ways to tell whether
your issue is ear wax or deafness.
On the surface, blocked ears can cause similar symptoms to
deafness. In both cases, you might find yourself asking others to repeat
themselves, particularly if they’re talking quietly. You might also struggle to
listen to music or hear the television, and talking on the phone might be
difficult as it becomes hard to tell what the other person is saying. Finding
it hard to hear could also result in you avoiding social interaction in busy
environments, as background noise makes it even more difficult to understand what
others are saying.
However, if you think your hearing loss is the result of an
ear wax build up, there are certain symptoms that you should look out for. These
include:
● Tinnitus.
This is a ringing or buzzing sound that comes from inside your ear. It’s
usually high-pitched and continuous, which makes it difficult for the sufferer to
fall asleep or to concentrate on a task.
● A feeling of fullness in the ear, as if something is stuck
inside it. This is caused by wax pressing against the sides of the ear canal.
● Dizziness and vertigo, which occur as a result of wax pressing
against the ear drum.
● Itchiness, caused by the wax irritating the skin inside
the ear.
● Ear pain, caused by hard, impacted wax putting pressure on
the inside of the ear.
● Coughing – ear wax can press against the nerve that causes
you to cough.
● Ear infections. While an infection can be a cause of ear wax, blocked ears can lead to infections when bacteria become trapped within the ear.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms alongside hearing loss, ear wax may be the cause. This means that the ear wax removal process should be effective at alleviating your symptoms and restoring your hearing.
What are the benefits of ear wax removal?
If you’re experiencing a build-up of ear wax, having it removed can provide you with instant relief. One of the key benefits of ear wax removal is that it can improve your hearing – with the ear canal unblocked, the hearing loss caused by wax will be quickly corrected.
While sounds may not seem louder after you’ve had your ear wax removed, you may notice improvements in your hearing in other ways. For example, the range of sounds you can hear might increase, so you won’t find yourself constantly having to turn up the volume on the television or ask people what they just said. This can help you to feel more confident attending social events, as you won’t have to worry about not being able to hear someone when they’re talking to you.
Having ear wax removed also reverses the various symptoms caused by blocked ears. If you’re experiencing tinnitus, you should find that it stops once the wax is extracted. Many people who experience tinnitus notice that it causes them to feel stressed and irritated, meaning that ear wax removal results in a sudden improvement in their quality of life.
The pain caused by ear wax pressed against the walls of the ear should stop after the wax is removed. In addition, you should find that your ears are less itchy, and the feeling of fullness inside the ear will go away.
Another benefit of ear wax removal is that, once the pressure on the ear drum is relieved, you will stop feeling dizzy. This means that having ear wax removed has the potential to improve your balance!
Ear wax removal also reduces your risk of developing an ear infection. Impacted ear wax – old wax that forms a hard lump, which can’t fall out on its own – can trap dirt and debris inside the ear, raising the chances of an infection. Ear infections can be extremely painful, and are potentially dangerous if left untreated for too long. The removal of impacted ear wax can help to prevent chronic ear infections from reoccurring, improving your overall health.
There are also many benefits to having your ear wax professionally removed by us here at Welling Ear Wax Clinic. For a start, it’s much safer than doing it yourself at home – if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could be at risk of accidentally damaging the ear drum, which could worsen your hearing problems.
Opting to have your ear wax removed by a trained professional also means you will know for certain that all the wax has been removed. This means it’s a much more effective option than trying to remove wax at home.
If, then, you are seeking out a clinic that can provide ear wax removal in Kent, you can be sure that you have made the right choice when you turn to Welling Ear Wax Clinic. It’s a quick and straightforward process to reach out to us by phone or email, or you could simply pop inside Falconwood Pharmacy, where we are based.