What Happens During a Professional Ear Cleaning

Sometimes you may find that you need to have your ears professionally cleaned by an audiologist. It is completely normal to need this doing, and although you may be feeling nervous it is actually a very simple procedure to undergo. Audiologists and experts will recommend that you have your ears professionally cleaned if you are experiencing any hearing loss or discomfort in your ears. With that in mind, here is everything that you may expect and what happens during a professional ear cleaning. 

Discuss the reasons why you feel you need your ears professionally cleaned

The first thing that you may need to do when speaking with your audiologist about having your ear professionally cleaned is to discuss the reasons why you think it is appropriate. You can explain to them any changes in your hearing, any hearing loss you might be experiencing or if you are having trouble cleaning them yourself. Your audiologist will want to discuss your medical history if it hasn’t been noted before. It is important that you are honest about this as your audiologist will need to know if there are any concerns before going ahead with the professional ear cleaning. 

What happens first 

Before the professional ear cleaning can take place, your audiologist will want to take a quick look inside your ear to see if there is an excessive buildup of earwax or debris inside your ears, most of which will be removed during the professional ear cleaning process. The audiologist will most likely use an instrument called the otoscope that has a little light bulb on it, so they can get a closer look. Once inserted, the otoscope will magnify the images inside your ear so that the audiologist will be able to see what sort of buildup there is. 

The ear cleaning process

Once the pre-checks have been done, the audiologist can get to work on the professional ear cleaning and try and flush out the buildup of earwax. This is done by using a syringe with water, or a water and saline solution and this is pumped into your ear. The liquid softens the buildup of earwax and debris and will help it slide out of your ear canal. The main issue that causes the buildup in the first place can be down to how hard the earwax is, so this process can help alleviate any pressure and allow the wax to come out of your ear more easily. 

The last thing to happen

Once that process is completed, your audiologist will help to clean up and dry your ears thoroughly. You might feel that your ears are slightly sensitive to sound because the buildup will have masked the sound before. You might also find that you need to be extra careful with your ears for a few days after, just to ensure that you avoid any problems occurring. It might be that your audiologist gives you some ear ointments to help with sensitivity or any potential discomfort. 

So, there you have it. A simple procedure and an easy one to follow through with. Let’s hope that this has made you more aware of what happens during a professional ear cleaning procedure.