If you ever hear muffled sounds or a high-pitched whistling (aka feedback) from your hearing aids, there’s a chance it’s because of earwax buildup. While earwax helps protect our ear canal and actually assists in cleaning and lubricating the ear, it can also potentially cause problems for the ear and hearing aids. Earwax buildup on hearing aids can cause them to sound like they are broken, especially if the sound bore (the part of the hearing aid where the sound comes out) is clogged with wax. Let’s avoid that happening by keeping those hearing aids clean!

Be diligent about that hearing aid cleaning routine. A soft dry cloth or soft bristled brush can help remove any lingering debris or earwax on the device. Keep your hearing aids in a cool, dry place and avoid any contact with moisture. If your hearing aid has a wax guard, use the tools provided by your Toronto audiologist or hearing instrument specialist by removing the old wax guard and replacing it with a new one.

If you’ve done your due diligence with hearing aid cleanup, it’s time to address the waxy treasure stuck in your canal.

Don’t use cotton swabs! A cotton swab is like a bad habit we keep returning to because it’s easy and seemingly does the trick of earwax removal. When using cotton swabs, you are more likely to push earwax further down the ear canal, leading to compaction. When the earwax is impacted, it can lead to pain, discomfort, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, dizziness, and increased hearing loss. Seek medical attention if you experience drainage, bleeding, an odor from the ear, or any other noticeable changes. Better yet, skip the self-clean and consider professional removal at your doctor’s office or at The Toronto Hearing Health Clinic.

To prepare for ear wax removal, you can put a few drops of olive oil in your ear, or better yet, a wax softening drop you can get at your pharmacy or our clinic, prior to the appointment. This can aid with softening the ear wax and allowing gentle removal (no hard scraping or digging happens here!). Some individuals can overproduce earwax and may need to routinely have their ears flushed- even if this is not you, it’s still a good idea to consider a professional cleaning over using cotton swabs (or a hairpin, a key or ear candling!), especially if the build-up is severe.

At Toronto Hearing Health Clinic, our Toronto audiologist and hearing healthcare experts can help you safely and effectively remove any excessive earwax with specialized techniques and tools such as manual removal, micro suction, or irrigation. Removing any earwax obstruction helps alleviate potential discomfort you may have been feeling and assists in better hearing.

Written by: Mariam Naveed, CDA