Earwax is a common problem among patients - as many as 40 in every 1,000 patients (4%) suffer this way. Traditional advice offered by doctors to soften compacted earwax - a few nights pouring olive oil into the ear - may be a wasted effort.
Although all normal ears produce some wax, in most cases it is naturally cleared over time.
But in some cases it can build up, blocking the narrow ear canal and causing temporary deafness or even pain.
The solution in many cases is to have the wax flushed out with water fired through a syringe, but the wax may be so hardened that syringing will not move it.
At this point most doctors tell the patient to go away and pour olive oil into the affected ear for a few nights, to help soften the wax.
However, a team of doctors from the Netherlands suspected that the oil might not be doing a good job.
Instead, they simply injected water into the ear, plugged it in with cotton wool and instructed the patient to sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes.
Oil No Better
Those undergoing the oil treatment fared no better on their return than the group given water.
Doctors in some cases found it easier to help patients who had used water instead of oil.
The researchers said that "using water as a dispersant for persistent earwax is quick and more convenient for the patient".
Ear, nose and throat experts warn against using objects to prod around and dislodge the wax.
Even using soft cotton-buds could leave the patient with a perforated eardrum.
British Journal of General Practice August 2001
Did you ever wonder why some people are always getting a buildup of wax in their ears? If you ask most any ear, nose, and throat specialist they will be mostly clueless as to the cause of this problem.
However the solution is quite simple. The wax builds up usually as a result of an essential fatty acid deficiency. Fortunately there is a simple and easy solution.
All one generally needs to do is consume additional omega 3 fats. My favorite is Carlson's lemon flavored cod liver oil, as one also receives vitamin A and D with this. One could receive the omega 3s from fish, but most fish are contaminated with mercury so this may be counterproductive.
Although cod liver oil obviously comes from fish, it is possible to obtain cod and process it in a way that removes most all of the mercury. I have been using Carlson's lemon flavored cod liver oil for the last year both personally and professionally. I use hair analysis for most of my patients and this is a very sensitive measure of recent mercury exposure, particularly from fish. I have not seen the mercury levels rise on anyone, including myself, who has taken this product. The hair analysis mercury level is so sensitive that I can usually tell how many servings of fish a month the person is eating based on looking at their level.
However, if one does have a low grain and sugar intake and is not seriously overweight or struggling with other signs of insulin excess such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, then one can consider the use of plant-based omega 3s such as flax seed.
Flax is best taken as a seed that is freshly ground in a coffee grinder. Not only will one receive the beneficial fat, but there are some useful fibers, called lignans, which have actually been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
However, the usefulness of this article is related to what to do if one did not have the prevention solution and is stuck with an ear wax buildup. It does appear from this study that water is as useful as oil in softening the wax if the water is kept in for awhile.
I normally find that high-pressure irrigation of the canals with a syringe is necessary to remove the wax. After the wax is clear the omega 3 fats normally prevent a recurrence.
If the wax does return that is a clue that the person does indeed have a serious omega 3 deficiency.