Ear wax removal and ear cleaning services

Wessex Ear Care is a mobile ear wax removal service in the Southampton area ready to help clear your ears of ear wax. Nicola, our audiologist at Wessex Ear Care, will visit you at your home and will bring the necessary ear wax removal equipment to you. Nicola is fully trained in ear wax removal through three different methods:

  • Microsuction

  • Water irrigation

  • Manual removal

Every appointment is tailored to you, depending on your medical history, previous experience of ear wax removal and position of ear wax in the ear canal. At each appointment a full ear assessment will be carried out and the most suitable ear wax removal procedure for your ear will be discussed with you, sometimes a combination approach may be required.

At Wessex Ear Care there are three methods for safe and effective home visit ear wax removal:

Microsuction

Microsuction is considered the ‘gold standard’ procedure when it comes to ear wax removal. It is a safe and effective method of clearing earwax blockages from your ears.  

Microsuction will gently remove ear wax from your ear canal by using a small, handheld suction device. Wessex Ear Care will arrive at your appointment with a compact suction unit. Using this unit, along with a small suction tip and a high magnification headset, ear wax can be removed from your ear without any discomfort. Due to the compact size of the unit, microsuction equipment is able to be portable, helping us to carry out earwax removal at home. Microsuction doesn’t require any water, which increases the number of patients who can be treated using this method.  Some patients have an ear history which makes this procedure more suitable than water irrigation.

The microsuction process:

  1. Before the microsuction procedure begins, Nicola - our Audiologist - will give a thorough examination of the ear using a specialised instrument called an otoscope. This inspection will help determine where the blockage lies within the ear canal and establish whether microsuction in the most appropriate method for removal.

  2. For the microsuction procedure the patient will need to be seated so Nicola has easy access to both ears. This will allow our audiologist to view your ears clearly and remove the ear wax safely.

  3. During microsuction, our Audiolgist will use a small, sterile suction tip to carefully remove the excess ear wax. This acts like a small vacuum cleaner to gather the wax and allow it to be removed safely. The suction tip is inserted through a small black cone (speculae) which is placed in the ear to protect the ear canal from injury and help keep the ear canal open for microsuction.

  4. After microsuction has been completed, our Audiologist will check your ears once again using an otoscope. This is an important step to ensure the ears are clear of ear wax and the ear drum can be viewed to make sure it looks healthy. You should notice your ear feels clearer and your hearing may well have improved. Advice on maintaining your ear health will be given to you at your appointment. Any abnormalities noted with your ear, ear canal or ear drum will require a GP referral letter which our Audiologist will happily write and send for you.

If your ears are feeling blocked please consult with a healthcare professional who has had full training to carry out microsuction. At Wessex Ear Care Nicola has had full certified training with The Hearing Lab, whose courses are accredited by the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA). She has also practiced this procedure in clinics over many years.

Nicola will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the microscution procedure either at the appointment, or before if required.  

Microsuction ear wax removal

Water Irrigation

Water irrigation is another approved method of ear wax removal. This process involves flushing the ear canal with gentle pulses of warm water to gently remove the ear wax. Although these are commonly interchangeable terms, water irrigation is NOT the same as ear syringing previously carried out at GP surgeries. These would have been syringes with no pressure measurement and had a potential to damage the ear if the pressure was applied too strongly.

Some GP surgeries may refer to water irrigation as ear syringing because cleaning our ears with water is universally understood by us all, however ear syringing in its true form should no longer be practiced. Water irrigation has been specially adapted to ensure the procedure is much safer for our ears compared to ear syringing. The flow of water is mechanically controlled, which allows only a safe amount of water to be released at any time.

Water irrigation process:

  1. Before water irrigation begins, Nicola - our Audiologist - will check your ears using an otoscope to establish which procedure is best to use for your ears. A medical history form will need to be completed to confirm whether water irrigation is safe to use on your ears. This is usually completed online prior to your appointment, but can be completed on the day if necessary.

  2. For water irrigation the patient will need to be seated with easy access to both ears. A table will be needed to place the water irrigation machine on, along with access to warm water to use for the procedure. The water temperature will be close to body temperature, which is to allow for comfort and also reduce the risk of dizziness during the treatment.

  3. During water irrigation the patient will hold a provided cup to catch the water from the ear canal. The tip of the water irrigator will be placed at the entrance to your ear and the audiologist will control the water using a foot pedal. Steady pulses of water will move in a rotating fashion and gently work it’s way along the ear canal to move the ear wax out of your ear. The tip of the water irrigator is specially modified to ensure the water reaches the ear canal wall rather than aimed at the ear drum. This is again to reduce the risk of damaging the ear.

  4. After water irrigation has been completed the audiologist will look in your ears and check them using an otoscope. Some cotton wool will be used to dry your ear canal, meaning most of the excess moisture will be removed from your ear. A final check with the otoscope to ensure all cotton wool has been removed and a thorough check of your ear canal and ear drum can then be carried out. Advice on maintaining your ear health will be given to you at your appointment. Any abnormalities noted with your ear, ear canal or ear drum will require a GP referral letter which our Audiologist will happily write and send for you.

Water irrigation is another method of ear wax removal recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Nicola at Wessex Ear Care has had full training in water irrigation along with many years of experience using this technology.  As such, Wessex Ear Care can offer both microsuction and water irrigation to patients.

If you have any of the following medical history you are unable to have water irrigation (but will still be able to have microsuction):

  • Current or previous perforation

  • Ear infection in the past 6 weeks

  • Previous ear surgery (dependent upon the surgery)

  • Grommets currently in place

 Please contact us at Wessex Ear Care if you have any concerns with any of the items mentioned above.

Water irrigation ear wax removal

Manual removal

Manual removal is the ‘traditional’ ear wax removal method where wax is removed using clinical tools such as curettes or jobson horne.

These tools are really useful to help with ear wax removal particularly with wax near to the entrance of your ear canal. At Wessex Ear Care they are mostly used alongside microsuction and water irrigation.

Manual ear wax removal