There are a range of signs to watch out for which could indicate you have an ear or hearing problem, these include, loss of hearing, earache, discomfort, discharge, ears feeling full, ringing, itching, loss of balance, dizziness, coughing, turning up the volume, moving closer to those talking, asking people to repeat themselves and concentrating harder than normal to listen.  These can be signs that a change has occurred in your ears, and you should get them checked.

Usually no pre-preparation is required. However, if you feel your problem is due to a build up of wax, please contact the clinic prior to your appointment. We may recommend a short assessment appointment to diagnose this. In some circumstances we may recommend the following to be carried out at home prior to your appointment:

Hard wax can be uncomfortable to remove, and sometimes it is hard to remove all of it in one session. If you have been instructed to please use the following method to soften the ear wax prior to your appointment:

The best way to soften earwax is with olive oil as follows:

• Use a small dropper to apply a few drops of olive oil into
  each ear that is affected by earwax.
• Massage the tragus (the harder area at the front of the ear) so the oil moves down the ear.
• Lie down with your head on the side and the facing upwards.  This also helps the oil reach the wax.
• Repeat the process on the other ear if required.

Ideally this procedure should be performed twice daily for a period of 6 days running up to your appointment.

During a Tympa appointment your clinician will be able to assess your ears, and if wax is present, gently remove it with microsuction. Microsuction is the gold standard of wax removal and is considered safer than other methods such as irrigation.

Once wax has been removed a hearing screening can be performed. This will identify whether you have a level of hearing loss. If you do have a hearing loss your clinician may refer you to an audiologist for further investigation. However, in many cases, the initial problem could’ve simply been down to the presence of wax itself.

All patient images and video are stored in our secure cloud, making it easy to keep track of your patients’ ear and hearing health record. This can be quickly and easily shared, via a professional PDF, with ENT surgeons, audiologists or GPs, should the patient need onward specialist treatment. Our “Remote Review” feature allows access to remote advice and guidance from Audiologists and ENT specialist surgeons, if a second opinion is required

There is no hard rule for how often someone should attend for earwax removal. It is much better to treat earwax early before the buildup becomes hard, impacted or painful. Therefore, if you are prone to wax buildup it is certainly worth having proactive treatment every 4-6 months. If you are a hearing aid wearer more frequent visits may be required. The practitioner should give you specific advice at the end of your appointment.

Microsuction is considered an extremely safe procedure when conducted by an appropriately trained healthcare professional. Nevertheless, as with any medical procedure it carries a small amount of risk of potential complications. Most of these complications are minor and resolve quickly on their own, so there is no need to worry before having the procedure.

Some of the side effects that can occur include:

Dizziness: Some people experience a little dizziness or a feeling of vertigo during the procedure or shortly after. This is only temporary and shouldn’t last long following the completion of the procedure. Long lasting dizziness is not a recognised risk of microsuction.

Infection: Sometimes microsuction can stimulate infection in the skin of the ear canal. This is very rare, and if it occurs is easily treated with topical drops. If you have any pain or leakage from the ear in the hours or days after your procedure it is important that you inform us immediately.

Trauma to the ear: There is a small risk that the suction tube used to remove the
wax scratches the wall of the ear canal. If this happens, there is no need for
concern as the area should heal by itself with no lasting damage. More serious
traumas to the ear, for example a perforated eardrum, are incredibly rare.

Noise Damage: The suction used for microsuction does generate some noise which
some people find to be quite loud. Rarely, it can cause temporary hearing
reduction or tinnitus - A ringing sensation in the ears.

At present we do not treat under 18's. We do wish to gauge interest if we were to offer this service, we would therefore be grateful if you were to let the clinic know if this is something you are interested in. Please email us at contact@ekclinic.co.uk

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