Use of syringe to unblock ears is a risk

♦ The accepted practice of improving patients’ hearing by “ear syringing” is unsafe and ineffective, the NHS practice watchdog has warned.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) yesterday ruled that using a large manual syringe to pump water into the ear canal risks permanent damage. It also warned against using cotton buds to clean ears.

Nice now recommends using an electronic irrigator as a means of removing built-up ear wax. It said the procedure, where a machine pumps water into the ear at a controlled pressure, is safer.