Ear wax is an accumulation of wax within the inner ear and is common in all of us particularly so as we age.
It is understood that excess earwax affects around one in three individuals over the age of 50 making the ears feel full and should the earwax block the ear canal, it can even lead to deafness.
The cause of earwax primarily relates to the build-up of dead cells along with the substance named cerumen which is a sticky material output through the glands lining our inner ear canal.
Earwax is a natural and protective mechanism helping to trap dirt and debris therefore protecting your eardrum.
It appears that some individuals are more susceptible than others, and it ordinarily affects men more so than women.
Although it is a strong temptation to remove earwax with cotton buds this often makes the condition much worse.
Rather, it is best to soften the wax with special drops which you can obtain from your pharmacist following the instructions on the bottle.
These treatments tend to clear up the excess ear wax in around a week.
On occasions home remedies such as ear drops are not sufficient to cure the problem and therefore you may need to book in an appointment with your doctor or medical practitioner.
The typical treatment performed medically, is to syringe the wax from within your ears.
The use of ear drops prior to the syringe procedure will soften the wax thereby making the procedure as simple and straightforward as possible.
If the wax is not softened prior to the procedure, more suction is required to remove the hardened wax which can lead to damage of the ear drum.
In most cases the syringing procedure will remove the offending ear wax and cure your hearing problems however, in a small amount of cases, syringing is not sufficient in which case your doctor or medical practitioner will refer you to the relevant specialist to consider removing the wax with either further suction or forceps.