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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
Your doctor can remove excess wax using a small, curved instrument called a curette or by using suction while inspecting the ear. Your doctor can also flush out the wax using a water pick or a rubber-bulb syringe filled with warm water.
If earwax buildup is a recurring problem, your doctor may recommend that you use a wax-removal medication, such as carbamide peroxide (Debrox, Murine Earwax Removal Drops), every four to eight weeks as a preventive measure. Because these drops can irritate the delicate skin of the eardrum and ear canal, use them sparingly and only on the advice of your physician.
References
- Earwax. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/earwax.cfm. Accessed April 21, 2011.
- Dinces EA. Cerumen. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2011.
- Clinical practice guideline: Cerumen impaction. Alexandria, Va.: Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. American Academy of Otalaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/Practice/upload/FINAL-CerumenImpaction-Journal-2008.pdf. Accessed April 26, 2011.
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