Introducing The Earigator at Johnson Audiology:
An innovative new tool for safely and comfortably removing excessive ear wax
Cotton swabs are a hygiene staple found in most homes. While they may have a host of uses, most cotton swabs are purchased for the purpose of ear cleaning, and we are taught as children that this is part of weekly hygiene. But did you know that you could be doing more harm than good by using cotton swabs in your ear? Read on to explore why this is true and when, how and where a professional ear cleaning is needed.
What is cerumen?
Ear wax, also called cerumen, is often misunderstood. Like mucus, it is a substance produced by the human body that many people consider gross and something to be expelled as part of daily hygiene. Despite the bad rap ear wax gets, it plays an important role in defending and maintaining the body’s health.
Only part of the ear—the external auditory canal—is readily visible. This outer ear canal connects the visible outer part of the ear with the eardrum. As a self-cleaning mechanism, the sebaceous and ceruminous glands inside the ear canal release lipids and other secretions that combine to form the substance you know as ear wax.
What is the purpose of cerumen?
• Cerumen lubricates the skin of the outer ear canal, serving as a protective coating that reduces dryness which could lead to tiny cracks that trap bacteria and allow an infection to bloom in your ear.
• Ear wax is a naturally acidic substance, which creates an inhospitable environment for bacterial and fungal growth, further shielding the ear from infection.
• Ear wax helps to keep the ear canal free of debris. Movements of the jaw naturally propel earwax along and out of the ear canal, sweeping up dead skin cells and tiny contaminants—things like dirt, dust, and dead bacteria—in its path.
What about too much ear wax?
All is well when earwax is doing its job correctly. Finding a little ear wax in the outer part of the ear is normal and means your ear’s natural cleaning process is working effectively. But what about when you have excessive cerumen production and/or when wax becomes trapped in the ear, even creating a hardened plug against your eardrum? Many factors could potentially lead to this.
• Age glands. Some people’s sebaceous and ceruminous glands have a propensity for producing more ear wax than other people’s do, and it can happen at any age.
• Physical structure of the ear. Some people have ear canals that are shaped in such a way that ear wax becomes easily trapped. Narrow spots or kinks can make it more difficult for earwax to be expelled.
• Frequent use of devices that plug your ears. Electronic ear buds as well as ear plugs, and even hearing aids—basically anything that is in your ears for long periods of time—can cause cerumen to build up and harden.
• Attempts to remove earwax improperly.
Many people attempt to clean out their ears with utensils like cotton swabs, even hair pins. Stop! At the least, this approach can be ineffective. At the worst, it can be potentially very dangerous. In addition to causing impacted earwax by packing down the cerumen, it can scratch the skin of the ear canal, triggering pain and infection. Sticking an item too far inside the ear can also damage your eardrum.
Impacted, hardened wax can cause discharge from the ear, aching, ringing in the ear, dizziness, coughing, a feeling of fullness in the ear, and decreased hearing. While it might be tempting to reach for that cotton swab under your bathroom sink or go online for a do-it-yourself solution for removing ear wax, this can be dangerous. Your ear is a delicate structure, and you can easily do damage with at-home remedies. Plus, if you have conditions like diabetes, a hole in your eardrum, have had ear surgery, or are immune-compromised, you can be at higher risk for ear damage and infection by trying to self-treat for ear wax build-up.
Introducing the Earigator at Johnson Audiology
If self-treatment for removing excessive ear wax is discouraged, where can you turn? Your audiologist, ENT and primary care physician are the professionals trained to determine if ear wax has built-up in your ear canal and needs to be removed. In fact, before you have a hearing diagnostic, your audiologist at Johnson Audiology will check your ears for wax and can complete the ear cleaning procedure on the spot before your hearing is tested. Since ear wax can block sounds from correctly entering the ear, it is crucial that wax be removed. Traditionally, your audiologist at Johnson Audiology removed wax by gently scooping it out with a small tool or by irrigating it with a low-tech spray bottle filled with warm water. In Johnson Audiology’s ongoing effort to offer the most updated treatment options to patients, the practice recently added a cerumen management system to its toolbox. The Earigator, by NuPur Technologies, is the world’s most advanced ear irrigation system. Using a gentle stream of water, your audiologist can safely and comfortably clean out wax in a short procedure that usually take less than a couple of minutes. The device has self-contained temperature controls that constantly regulate the water to match human body temperature. This is important since water that is too cool or too warm would create discomfort and can temporarily disrupt your sense of balance, which is controlled by your inner ear. The Earigator also is pressure-controlled ensuring that the warm stream of water is regulated. The device is so effective even impacted cerumen is easily removed and never endangers the ear drum.
Johnson Audiology is pleased to offer this new cerumen removal system to patients in the Chattanooga and Hixson locations with future plans to add the device in its other three offices. To see the audiologists at Johnson Audiology demonstrating The Earigator, visit Johnson Audiology’s TikTok page at @drwaxbuster. Book your appointment for an ear cleaning and a diagnostic hearing test by calling the Chattanooga location at 423.710.1432 or the Hixson location at 423.713.5266.