Earwax Removal

Every removal happens under direct visualization, meaning Dr. Ometz is looking into the canal through magnification the whole time rather than working blind. From there the method follows the wax: a fine curette for dry buildup near the canal opening, or low-pressure irrigation when that is the most comfortable route for softer or deeper material.

Most appointments run 15 to 30 minutes and close with a quick look at the now-clear eardrum. If anything turns up that belongs with a physician, you leave with a written recommendation. Every visit is by appointment, so call 410-766-6320 or schedule online rather than stopping by.

Cotton swabs mostly relocate wax. They push it deeper, where it packs against the eardrum and becomes harder to reach, and they can scratch the thin skin of the canal or reach the eardrum itself. Softening drops have a place before a professional removal, but they are a poor answer once a full blockage has formed.

Ear candling is worse on both counts. Studies show it removes no measurable wax, and it introduces burns, dripped candle wax in the canal, and eardrum injury as new problems. Dr. Ometz will also show you what safe at-home maintenance looks like for your ears. Skip the experiments and call 410-766-6320.

It differs from person to person. Most ears clear themselves and never need help. Others produce more wax, or have narrow or sharply curved canals that trap it, and those patients do better on a rhythm of twice a year to once every few years, depending on how fast the buildup returns.

Anything worn in the ear slows the natural clearing process, so hearing aid wearers and daily earbud users tend to need attention sooner. Our advice to patients is simple: come in when the symptoms come back, not on a calendar. If you also wear hearing aids, we can pair the cleaning with a clean-and-check visit in one trip.