Ear Hygiene & Wax Removal

Ear hygiene is an important area for healthy living that often gets overlooked or completely forgotten. Your ears are essential for helping you hear, but can sometimes get blocked by too much wax or even foreign particles.

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Wax is typically a sign of a healthy ear, but too much can cause problems and even diminish your hearing abilities. If you have noticed pain, fullness, a “plugged” feeling, or partial hearing loss that is getting worse, you may need ear hygiene treatment or wax removal.

How Our Treatment Works

For many people, the go-to ear cleaning method is using a cotton swab. While this can sometimes help, it can also push wax or debris deeper into your ear and even lead to infections, hearing loss, and eardrum rupture. This is why it’s so important to have a trained physician provide ear cleaning and wax removal when needed.

At Texas ENT Specialists, we offer a few different treatment methods to help clean or unclog your ears. One of our physicians will first examine your ears to look at the depth of the wax blockage. The ears are examined and cleaned using a microscope to better visualize the ear canal. The first method is to use a small, curved tool called a “curet”. This is inserted into the ear and hooks the wax, allowing it to be easily removed. Another technique is suction.

One of the best doctor’s visits I’ve EVER had. Got the answers I’ve been looking for YEARS now. Finally feel like I have a plan! Love this place!

by MD

When is Ear Wax Removal or Cleaning Needed?

Ear wax removal or cleaning can be beneficial for many people. Some patients may have a natural overproduction of earwax and will require this treatment to help remove the excess build-up. Others may not clean their ears sufficiently or have been doing so incorrectly. This can lead to a wax build-up or the wax being pushed deeper into the ear.

Benefits of Ear Wax Removal

Relief of ear pressure
Stops ears from feeling “full”
Relieves earaches
Stops ringing in the ears
Helps prevent hearing loss

With 18 convenient locations across the greater Houston & San Antonio areas, we’re never far away.

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About Texas ENT Specialists

Texas ENT Specialists is Houston’s premier provider of ENT care. We have 15 convenient locations across the Houston area. We offer our patients:

Personalized Treatment

Every treatment we provide is tailored to fit your specific needs and symptoms.

Top-Rated Physician Network

We offer a network of board-certified and fellowship-trained providers at each of our 15 locations.

Centers of Excellence

Each Texas ENT Specialist location uses the latest technology to help ensure the best possible treatment outcomes.

Continuity of Care

Our goal is to provide you with comprehensive care that leads to long-term relief.

Who Is a Candidate for Ear Hygiene and Wax Removal?

If you have begun to feel pain, pressure, or fullness in your ears, you may be a candidate for this treatment. Other symptoms may include ringing in the ears and loss of hearing. It’s very important that you do not attempt to deeply clean your ears at home, as you may inflict further damage.

What to Expect from Your Ear Cleaning Treatment

Before treatment begins, your provider will examine your ears. This may be done using an instrument that allows them to look inside. After examining your ears, they will be able to determine which wax removal method is most effective for your specific case.

All wax removal treatments can be done in our office and take a minimal amount of time. After the procedure, you will feel immediate relief. The pressure or fullness you felt should be gone. Most patients find great improvement after one treatment, but follow-ups or aftercare may be required.

Ear Hygiene & Wax Removal FAQ's

Is ear wax bad?

No. Ear wax is created by our bodies to help protect our ears, keeping water and bacteria at bay. It also helps lubricate and clean the ear canal.

How many treatments will I need?

For some patients, a single treatment may be enough to achieve significant relief. Other patients may require routine visits or be prescribed medication for recurring issues.

Can I remove wax myself?

Typically our bodies remove wax naturally. It is broken up by moving our jaws and chewing. While there are methods of at-home wax removal for build-up, a trained provider is always the safest choice.