Ear irrigation involves using a pressurised flow of water to remove the build-up of earwax. An electronic ear irrigator is used, rather than a metal syringe (which was previously used), to avoid damaging the ear. The irrigator has a variable pressure control so that syringing can begin at the lowest pressure.

During the procedure, a controlled flow of water will be squirted into your ear canal to clean out the earwax. The water is a similar temperature to your body.

While irrigating your ear, the healthcare professional treating you may hold your ear at different angles to ensure the water reaches all of your ear canal. They may also look inside your ear several times using an auriscope (an instrument that’s used to examine the inside of the ear) to check whether the wax is coming out.

Ear irrigation is a painless procedure, but your ear may feel strange as the water is squirted around your ear canal.

Microsuction is a wax-removal technique using a binocular operating microscope.

This allows depth-perception and magnification so it becomes easier to look straight into the ear canal and using a very fine sterile suction device at low pressure, remove the wax. Occasionally we may need to use other instruments to remove hard wax.

This technique enables us to see more clearly what we are doing and can avoid touching the skin at the sides of the ear canal, which makes the process a lot more comfortable.

Microsuction is the method preferred by medical staff and patients alike for guaranteed effective removal of wax.

Unlike traditional forms of ear wax removal, using ear wax softening drops for a week is not always necessary with microsuction and in most cases the wax can be removed safely within minutes by a trained professional.

This service is only available to adults aged 19 and over.