Professional Cerumen (Earwax) Removal South Louisiana

Stuffiness, a feeling of fullness, aching, and muffled conversations are hearing issues that just about everybody deals with once in a while. Usually, these problems are symptoms of the excessive buildup of cerumen, also called earwax.

Generally speaking, earwax build-up is harmless, but it can also be a sign that something isn’t working as it should within your ears, which is why an earwax removal appointment at SLENT Hearing and Balance Center includes a comprehensive hearing assessment to check your overall hearing health, as well as safe, effective earwax removal.

Our professional earwax removal appointment and hearing assessment will typically last around 60 minutes. The hearing evaluation will probably be covered by your insurance, but earwax removal is not, which means you’ll have a $40 out-of-pocket fee for that portion of the appointment.

What Is Earwax?

The natural substance produced by cells in your ear canal to attract and trap unwelcome dirt and debris is known as cerumen, or, more commonly, earwax. In addition to helping clean your ears, it also has lubricating and protective properties that limit itching and irritation, as well as preventing the growth of various types of bacteria and fungi capable of producing ear infections.

In most cases, earwax is very useful and should be appreciated.

However, an extensive buildup of earwax can occur, or earwax can become impacted, leading to temporary hearing loss, ringing in your ears, a feeling of fullness, dizziness, headaches, balance issues, and ear pain.

Impacted earwax stems from a variety of problems, but one of the most common is the use of cotton swabs to “clean” your ears. When you clean your ears with a cotton swab or some other object (we really shudder at the thought), you will push the wax deeper into your ear canal, causing a buildup or blockage.

Schedule an Earwax Removal Appointment

Busting the Myths About Earwax

MYTH #1 – “My body produces too much earwax!”

Fact: This is rarely the case. Your ears produce the right amount of wax to keep your ears free of debris and infection, while also keeping them lubricated to prevent itching and irritation. Too much cleaning may cause your ears to produce more than necessary to replace the shortage, leading to additional earwax issues.

MYTH #2 – “Cotton swabs are great for removing earwax.”

Fact: Blindly digging at the earwax in your ear with a cotton swab is likely to cause more harm than good, and it can even be dangerous. Besides pressing earwax tighter or pressing it against your eardrum where it can cause an infection, you risk puncturing your eardrum if you become too aggressive. Use cotton swabs to clean the outer ear, but not the ear canal.

MYTH #3 – “Just follow the online tutorials to remove your own earwax.”

Fact: There are online tutorials for cutting your own hair, rewiring your house, or building homemade fireworks, but that doesn’t mean that they provide the safest, most effective advice. The long-term risks of removing your own earwax instead of consulting a professional are far worse than the small investment required to seek the help of a hearing care specialist.

MYTH #4 – “My ears will naturally clean/fix themselves.”

Fact: Under normal circumstances, earwax works its way from deep inside the ear canal to the outer ear while you talk and chew. However, once earwax buildup has become impacted, your ears will need some help in order to prevent an ear infection and the potential for ongoing damage to your ears.

What Happens During an Earwax Removal Appointment?

Earwax removal isn’t a complicated process, but we like to be upfront with our patients about
what we’re going to do, so here is what happens during an earwax removal appointment:

1. We Welcome You to Our Office

Our comfortable waiting room features magazines and toys for adults and children in order to help you relax and welcome you to SLENT Hearing and Balance Center. Once one of our private exam rooms is available, we’ll walk you to it and do all we can to make you comfortable.

2. We’ll Talk About Your Ears

We’re concerned about your earwax issues, but we also want to make sure we meet all of your hearing health needs, so we’ll also ask about any related symptoms or hearing challenges you’ve been experiencing.

3. A Physical Examination of Your Ears

We could just start poking around inside your ears, hoping to get all of the earwax out, but that’s not what we do. Using an otoscope, your audiologist will take a look into your ear canal to see what’s going on in there so we can develop a plan for targeted removal.

4. We Clean Out the Earwax

Usually, your ears just need a little warm water to soften up the wax and flush it out. When built-up or impact earwax is a bit stubborn, your audiologist will reach for a curette to scoop out any earwax that doesn’t come out on its own.

5. Relief!

The pain, stuffiness, muted sound and ringing in your ears that was bothering you will disappear the instant all of the earwax is gone. It’s a relief that some of our patients describe as “heavenly.”

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Schedule Your Earwax Removal Appointment

We are dedicated to making sure your hearing system is working as it should, including the natural cleaning process performed by earwax.

So, if you have any questions or concerns about earwax removal for you or your child, contact SLENT Hearing and Balance Center for an earwax removal appointment by filling out the adjacent form.

One of our specialists will call you back to help schedule an earwax removal appointment and much needed relief ASAP.