An Accurate View of The Ear Canal

Posted on 12-12-2019 07:50 PM

An Accurate View of The Ear Canal

Microsuction is the safest technique for clearing ear wax from the ear canal. It is much safer than syringing. The microscope offers extremely magnified vision so the nurses can see extremely well, therefore they can remove wax/debris without touching the ear canal walls – a comfortable, safe procedure. The magnified view allow the ear nurse therapist to assess the ear canal and ear drum to make a diagnosis.

Earwax should be removed if it is totally blocking the ear canal and one of the following: the person is symptomatic (with conductive hearing loss, earache, tinnitus or vertigo) the tympanic membrane is obscured by wax but needs to be viewed to establish a diagnosis the person wears a hearing aid and an impression needs to be taken for a mould, or wax is causing the hearing-aid to whistle.

In contrast, endoscopic ear wax removal uses a fine 2.8mm endoscope inserted part way into the ear canal. The endoscope is a rod containing fiber-optics to relay light from a light source to illuminate the canal and a solid lens (or series of lenses) to relay the view from inside the canal to the outside. The endoscope can be either viewed directly, or imaging equipment can be attached to provide better magnification This process uses a fine tube connected to a suction machine and does not require water to remove the wax. The procedure is safe, comfortable and painless. We view your ear canal with the aid of a microscope which allows us to see exactly what we are doing at all times. This removal process is very thorough and is particularly suitable for smaller ear canals and for those who may have suffered problems with their ears such as ear drum perforation.

It’s difficult to perform a full hearing test when there is a build-up of wax in the ears. It can produce inaccurate test results and obstructs the view to the eardrum in order for your hearing care professional to accurately assess your hearing. It also creates issues when you need to have an ear mould impression taken, or have hearing aids fitted.

Following an initial discussion regarding your health and hearing, we begin by examining your ears using a fibre optic camera. The camera sits just at the entrance of the ear, and enables both you and the audiologist to view your ear canal and ear drum on a large screen. We will examine both ears, before proceeding with any wax removal required. Following treatment, we will show you your ear canals and drums again, this time without any wax blockage.

Uses what is effectively a vacuum to clear out debris or wax from the ear canal a fine suction tube is gently inserted into the ear canal while being viewed through a magnifying headset.

Ear Wax Removal – Microsuction and Ear Syringing

Earwax is naturally occurring and serves an important purpose. On occasion earwax can build in the ear canal and can cause hearing loss or discomfort. For many people, microsuction offers a quick and long-lasting solution to hearing loss. Years of excess wax build up can be gently removed - providing an immediate improvement to their quality of life. It helps to protect and clean the inside of the ear by creating a natural protective layer. Other wax removal treatments such as syringing often completely clear the canal of all wax, leaving no protective layer inside the ear. Microsuction is a much more controlled treatment which allows your audiologist to carefully remove excess wax whilst preserving a necessary level of protection.

Irrigation (syringing) is an option that we still have but is only used if someone requests it or if it is in a minority of cases, more suitable. Preparation is key to successful wax removal by irrigation and olive oil or sodium bicarbonate ear drops must be used 7-10 days prior to removal.

Ear wax removal by microsuction is the safest most effective method for the removal of ear wax from ear canals. Due to the nature of the suction, ear wax can be removed from the ear, irrespective of whether it is soft or hard. This differs from other methods such as syringing and water irrigation where wax has to be treated beforehand with drops to encourage a softer consistency.

Syringing is the traditional method of wax removal. It involves water being injected into the ear canal at high pressure, with the aim of trying to get behind the wax to force it out as the water seeps out of the ear canal. There are a number of problems associated with this method of wax removal: Very occasionally people with tinnitus have reported that ear syringing made their tinnitus more troublesome. This may be when the procedure has been an uncomfortable or unpleasant experience. Some people have reported that ear syringing actually caused their tinnitus. However, considering that wax removal - particularly ear syringing - is the most common ear procedure carried out in primary care, complications are few and far between.

Unlike other ear wax removal techniques such as ear syringing or ear irrigation, you will not need to do any preparation work before you visit us. While it may help to use ear drops before the removal, it is not necessary because our equipment will be able to remove it safely.

Unlike ear syringing or ear irrigation , where ear wax is flushed out ‘blindly’, with microscopic and microsuction ear wax removal the ear wax is being directly visualised under the microscope whilst it is being removed. This makes the procedure much quicker, safer and comfortable for the patient.

A Good View of The Ear Canal

We also use endoscopic ear wax removal at our practices and to learn more, please contact us. Ear wax, or “cerumen” to use the medical term, is a good thing to have in our ears. This is because it protects the skin of the human ear canal and it also assists in cleaning and lubrication.

As the name suggests, microsuction employs a tiny suction tube to gently remove excess wax from your ear canal. We also use a microscope to target locations where wax has built up. Because we have a better view of your ear, microsuction is faster than irrigation, typically lasting just a few minutes. It is generally considered free from discomfort and like irrigation we usually ask that you use sodium bicarbonate eardrops beforehand.

Unlike ear syringing or even the safer ear irrigation, there is no water used, which means less mess generally. When undertaking micro-suction, the canal and the ear wax is being directly viewed with a microscope or a set of loupes (microscopic glasses) whilst it is being removed. This makes the procedure much quicker, safer and comfortable for the patient.

Microsuction ear wax removal

Microsuction is a procedure which uses gentle suction to remove excessive or troublesome earwax. It is performed with the aid of an operating microscope and a finely calibrated suction device, without the introduction of any materials or liquids. You may be asked to use olive oil spray or drops for several days beforehand. This will make the treatment easier for you. Occasionally we may need to use other instruments to remove hard wax. The technique means that we can always see what we are doing and can avoid touching the skin of the sides of the ear canal which makes the process a lot more comfortable.

Usually, microsuction does not even require pretreatment of ear drops. A fully qualified audiologist, will look into the ear canal through a binaural microscope (either fixed or with glasses) and, using a very fine suction device at low temperature, will safely remove the wax. We cover berkshire and are based in reading, spire dunedin hospital.

As the ears are self cleaning, we recommend that you should never use cotton buds or insert anything in your ears as this is likely to cause further problems. If you’re creating excessive amounts of ear wax and have a build up, this is when ear wax removal is required.

Ear microsuction is the most effective and safest form of earwax removal as it avoids touching the sensitive area around the ear canal and evades contact with the ear drum. A low pressure suction probe is used to gently and safely remove earwax. This technique of ear wax removal does not use high pressure water unlike ‘syringing’, therefore allowing microsuction to be the safest, fastest and cleanest method of choice.

Wax is the body’s natural protection of the ear canal, but too much of it can cause problems. We went to the clear ear clinic in oxford to get our ears cleared with a procedure called microsuction. It's done with a tiny vacuum that hoovers everything that's in the ear gently. It takes around 15 minutes to clean both ears.

An Accurate View of The Ear Canal