A lack of access to safe removal is leaving millions isolated, in pain or turning to risky DIY methods
For three years, Audrey Houghton’s world got smaller. Not because of illness or injury, but because of earwax.
The 70-year-old from Bedfordshire lost access to NHS earwax removal in 2022 after her GP surgery stopped offering the service. She tried over-the-counter sprays and olive oil, as the NHS website advised, but nothing worked. Her hearing deteriorated to the point where she stopped going to church, fitness classes and social events.
“I couldn’t hear people clearly enough to take part in conversation,” she told the Daily Mail. “It was easier to stay at home.”
Audrey’s case is far from rare. A recent survey by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) found that one in ten people had taken time off work due to blocked ears. One in 20 had attempted risky DIY removal with tweezers or hairpins.
RNID estimates that 2.3 million people in England need professional earwax removal, but provision is patchy. Since responsibility for services was handed to local Integrated Care Boards, many have chosen not to fund it, despite national guidance from NICE, the health body, recommending two safe options: ear irrigation using controlled water pressure, or microsuction using a tiny vacuum.
The older method of ear syringing has been phased out due to the risk of damage from uncontrolled water pressure.
Private treatment or no treatment
Those unable to access treatment on the NHS face long waits or need to find a reputable private provider such as Hearology®. Around 10% of people require it more than once a year.
Audrey paid for private treatment at a high street clinic but was left in pain and with ringing in her ears. It was only later, when her NHS audiology department offered her microsuction, that her hearing was restored safely. “It was painless and quick,” she said. “I could hear again immediately.”
Microsuction is the method used by Hearology®, which provides earwax removal services at its clinics.
“We see so many people who’ve been left without an NHS option and are understandably nervous about trying to do it themselves or turning to one of the many providers who aren’t properly regulated,” says Eva Opitz, a specialist at Hearology®. “Microsuction really is the gold standard: it’s safe, comfortable, and works well for nearly everyone, including children, hearing aid users and people with narrow ear canals. Because the ear cleaning sector isn’t properly regulated, there has been a flood of new entrants without the proper training, equipment or facilities since the NHS stopped providing an ear cleaning service. Audrey’s story is a common one in our experience.”
Why it matters
Earwax is a natural substance that protects the ear, but when it builds up, it can cause hearing loss, pain, tinnitus and dizziness. While ear drops can soften wax, it cannot dislodge it.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) says that the advice provided by the NHS - that ear drops alone are usually sufficient - is misleading, and has launched a campaign, Stop the Block, to push for universal access to safe removal.
More useful NHS advice warns against using cotton buds or other objects to remove wax, as these often make the problem worse by pushing wax further into the ear canal.
For Audrey, getting her hearing back meant getting her life back. “I didn’t realise how isolated I’d become,” she said. “It sounds like a small thing, but earwax had taken so much from me.”
References
- RNID: Stop the Block campaign – The campaign calling for restoration of NHS earwax removal
- NICE guidance on earwax removal – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations
- BBC: Why earwax is causing a healthcare row – A closer look at NHS cuts and patient impact
- NHS: How to deal with earwax – Official NHS advice on managing blocked ears
