Ear wax buildup can be embarrassing. You find yourself less and less able to hear clearly, as though you are slowly growing deaf. You have been told since childhood never to dig around inside your ear, yet the frustration and annoyance of hearing only muffled sounds is becoming unbearable, and friends are starting to wonder why you keep asking them to repeat what they’ve just said. Suffer no longer! There are some easy measures you can take to get rid of ear wax that are both safe and effective.

Commercial Remedies

There are products designed for removing ear wax safely. A typical product consists of a small bottle of ear drops and a rubber syringe. This can be purchased over the counter at most drug stores. You put several drops from the bottle into your ear, leave it there for several minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water using the rubber syringe. You will need to repeat this process once or twice each day, and you may need to continue doing it for a week or two before full hearing is restored. Carefully follow the instructions that come with the product.

Natural Remedies

Sometimes the old-fashioned ways are just as good. Instead of going to the drugstore, you can go to your own pantry shelf. Olive oil is one of the home remedies that our grandparents used, and it still works. Just as with the commercial solution, you put a few drops of olive oil directly into your ear. You can plug it with a cotton ball and go to bed; you will probably want to put a towel over your pillow to avoid staining it. In the morning you can remove the cotton ball and wipe your external ear with a tissue, and you will probably find you don’t need to rinse any further. Again, you may need to continue doing this each night for a week or two before the ear wax buildup is gone.

Professional Help

If neither of the above measures solves the problem, or if you can’t afford to wait two weeks to have your full hearing back, head for a doctor. You don’t need to see an ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist); a general practitioner or internal medicine specialist can handle this. He has specialized tools, plus he can see what he’s doing! He can get rid of the excess ear wax in one quick visit.

Whether you choose a commercial product, a natural approach, or the assistance of a professional, you will be able to get rid of your ear wax buildup safely and effectively. You will be amazed to hear all the little sounds you weren’t noticing before! The world will be a friendly place once again.