Ear Wax Microsuction

No. Most people describe it as a strange sensation rather than a painful one: the suction is noisy close to the ear, and you may feel a light touch or a brief tickle as the wax is lifted away. There is no water and no pressure in the ear. If the wax is hard and stuck to the ear canal it can be uncomfortable to loosen, which is exactly why softening it with oil for three days beforehand matters; well-oiled wax comes away easily. Tell the clinician at any point if you want a pause.

The appointment is 30 to 40 minutes for both ears. The clinician first asks about your symptoms and looks in each ear with a magnifier and light to check they are healthy and see how much wax there is. The removal itself usually takes a few minutes per ear. The rest is examination, explanation and, if needed, advice on preventing it building up again.

Yes, for at least three days before your appointment. Lie on your side or tilt your head, drip olive oil or over-the-counter ear drops into the ear, stay there for five minutes so it soaks into the wax, then do the other side, twice a day. Softened wax lifts away cleanly; hard, dry wax stuck to the canal may not be removable in one visit, and if you arrive without having oiled your ears the clinician may not be able to complete the treatment. Book three to four days ahead to give yourself time.

£59 at Goodbody Clinic for both ears, including the ear health check, whether one ear or both need clearing. Most GP practices no longer offer ear syringing on the NHS, and NHS ear care is now limited to specific circumstances, so private removal has become the usual route. High street pharmacies and audiologists typically charge £50 to £90 for microsuction; hospital ENT departments privately charge more. If there turns out to be no wax to remove, you are refunded less the cost of the consultation.

Syringing, or irrigation, flushes the ear with warm water to wash the wax out. It works, but the water can cause dizziness, push wax further in, and carries a risk of infection or, rarely, perforation, which is why it is no longer recommended as first choice. Microsuction removes the wax directly under magnification with a fine suction tube, so the clinician sees what they are doing throughout, nothing goes into the ear but the tube, and it is suitable for people with small ear canals, previous ear surgery, a perforated eardrum or a history of infections, where syringing should not be used.

Yes, when performed by a trained clinician under magnification, which is how it is done at Goodbody. Because the clinician sees the ear canal and eardrum throughout and no water is used, the risks of infection or perforation associated with syringing are avoided. The suction is noisy and a few people feel briefly dizzy from the sound or the sensation, which passes. Minor temporary effects can include a little tenderness of the ear canal. Serious complications are very rare.

Muffled or reduced hearing in one or both ears, often coming on gradually; a feeling of fullness or pressure; itching; earache or discomfort; ringing or buzzing (tinnitus); a smell from the ear; and sometimes dizziness or a cough. Hearing aid users notice whistling or reduced performance. Wax is the most common cause of these symptoms, but not the only one, which is why the appointment starts with an examination: if the clinician sees an infection or another problem rather than wax, they will tell you and advise seeing your GP.

It clears the blockage in one visit in the great majority of cases, with hearing returning immediately once the canal is clear. Wax is normal and protective, and your ears will keep producing it; whether it builds up again depends on your ear canal shape, hearing aid or earbud use, and age. Some people need clearing every six to twelve months, most far less often. Avoid cotton buds, which push wax deeper, and use a few drops of olive oil once a week if you are prone to build-up.

Keep water out of your ears for 24 hours: no swimming, and keep your head out of the shower stream or use cotton wool with a little petroleum jelly in the ear when washing your hair. Your hearing may sound unusually sharp for a day. If you notice pain, discharge or reduced hearing in the days afterwards, contact us or your GP.

At selected Goodbody clinics across the UK; use the clinic finder to see the clinics offering ear wax removal and book directly. Appointments are in clinic only. No GP referral is needed.

A trained clinician qualified in ear examination and microsuction, using a magnifying loupe or microscope and a medical suction unit. Every appointment includes an ear health check, so if what you have is not wax, an infection, eczema of the ear canal or something else, you will be told and pointed to the right care.

In most cases yes, and it is the preferred method for people with a perforated eardrum, grommets, previous ear surgery, recurrent infections or very narrow ear canals, because no water is used. Tell the clinician about any ear history when you arrive. If you currently have an ear infection with pain and discharge, see your GP first; microsuction is for wax, and infected ears need treatment before wax removal.