Salt Water. One teaspoon of salt per half a cup of warm water is all you need for this natural wax removal remedy. Once all of the salt has dissolved, tilt one ear upward and use a cotton swab to gently rub the solution around your ear, allowing water to drip inside your ear canal.
I have a lot of my patients use a half-and-half alcohol solution with alcohol and water, or hydrogen peroxide and water. Apple-cider vinegar is a really good idea to use, too.” Smouha also suggests using over-the-counter ear drops to help dislodge wax, but sparingly.
Mix a teaspoon of salt in one-half cup of warm water. Make sure to dissolve the salt completely before you put the mixture in your ear. Wet a cotton ball with the saline solution, tilt your head to one side, and squeeze the ball so that the solution drips into your ear.
Soften and loosen the earwax with warm mineral oil. You also can try hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room temperature water. Place 2 drops of the fluid, warmed to body temperature, in the ear two times a day for up to 5 days.
It involves using a rubber bulb syringe to squirt water or a saline solution into the ear canal. When the water or solution drains out of the ear, it also flushes out loose ear wax. Use wax-softening ear drops before rinsing out your ear for the best results. And be sure to warm the solution to your body temperature.
The acetic acid (vinegar) will soften the wax and lower the pH in the ear canal. This will kill any bacteria in the ear as well as facilitating wax removal. The mechanical irrigation will wash out the wax. After irrigating, you can swirl a Q-tip – just at the opening.
A: Ear wax production is often triggered by what hearing health care professionals call a contact stimulus. Objects like headphones, earbuds and even hearing aids that contact and rub the ears are the biggest culprits. By producing more earwax, your ears are trying to protect themselves from irritation or infection.
Ear drops:
Put 2 or 3 drops of ordinary olive oil down the ear 2 or 3 times a day for 2-3 weeks. This softens the wax so that it then runs out of its own accord without harming the ear. You can continue for any length of time, but 3 weeks is usually enough. Surprisingly, you will not necessarily see wax come out.
Soak a cotton ball with the hydrogen peroxide. Tilt your head and drip the peroxide into your ear. You may hear it fizz as it tries to dissolve the earwax. After about 30 seconds, drain your ear onto a washcloth.
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which helps break down earwax. Simply mix one part apple cider vinegar to three parts warm water. Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and gently wipe the outside edge of your ear, taking care not to stick the cotton ball right into the ear.
A homemade cure can be mixed from a solution of half rubbing alcohol and half vinegar. The alcohol combines with water in the ear and then evaporates, removing the water, while the acidity of the vinegar keeps bacteria from growing. Apply a couple of drops of solution in each ear.
It is healthy to have earwax inside the ear canal. It is not a sign of poor hygiene. Usually, the ears constantly clean themselves by slowly moving earwax and debris out of the ear canal opening. Most of the time, we are unaware of this cleaning process.
Also known as “ear coning,” this technique involves placing a hollow candle soaked in beeswax or paraffin inside the ear. The far end of the candle is lit and the heat allegedly produces suction that is supposed to draw out the ear wax, debris and bacteria from inside the ear canal.
Mineral oil works very nicely to treat problems with ear wax buildup. It is safe to use in a patient with ear tubes or a hole in the eardrum.
We would recommend that olive oil is applied as it is gentle, lubricates the skin inside the ear and softens the plug of wax.
Safety and risks
Olive oil is generally safe to use in small quantities in the ear. However, people with a ruptured eardrum should never put olive oil or other substances in the ear. Irrigating the ear with olive oil can cause side effects such as itching, outer ear infections, dizziness, and skin irritation.
This can happen for brief periods during air travel, but also due to allergies, sinus or ear infections, or other respiratory viruses (including COVID-19). Sudden onset of muffled hearing in one ear may signal an urgent problem requiring prompt treatment to prevent or reduce possible hearing loss.
Dark brown or black colored earwax is typically older, so its color comes from the dirt and bacteria it has trapped. Adults tend to have darker, harder earwax. Dark brown earwax that is tinged with red may signal a bleeding injury. Light brown, orange or yellow earwax is healthy and normal.
Turn your head to the side over a sink or bathtub to let the water (and, ideally, wax) flow out. However, there are a few caveats: Be gentle: Flush your ear gently to avoid harming your eardrum. Watch the temperature: The water should not be too cold or too hot.
Irrigation of the ear can lead to otitis externa, vertigo, perforation of the tympanic membrane, and middle ear damage if the tympanic membrane is perforated. These complications are less common with the syringe and IV catheter technique than when compared to the pulsating water device technique.
Please understand that it is never safe for anyone to use peroxide, alcohol, and tap water to flush the ear canal for any reason. In fact using clean distilled water can irritate the inner ear and cause transient vertigo.