Earth Essences.Com

DR ELLIE CANNON: Why are my ears bunged up with wax all the time?

I was diagnosed with neck cancer 20 years ago and had an operation to remove the tumour and lymph nodes and a course of radiotherapy. Ever since, I've had a problem with ear wax, especially on the side where my tumour was. What can I do?

Radiotherapy is very effective at obliterating cancers but it can come with long-term side effects.

Most commonly it can lead to skin problems in the area targeted and where moisture is produced, which is why it often leaves patients with an extremely dry mouth.

Ear wax is a mixture of dead skin cells, oils and dirt that normally shifts out of the ear when we move the jaw. A build-up of this in the ear canal is a well recognised complication of radiotherapy to the head and neck.

To remove excess wax, first use softening drops made from sodium bicarbonate or olive oil. For some, the drops alone – available at most chemists – are enough to allow the wax to pass out.

The second stage involves a healthcare professional clearing out any remaining wax using water irrigation or microsuction, which is like a tiny vacuum cleaner with a microscope.

You might have heard of ear syringing, but doctors don't use this technique because it risks damaging the ear drum.

We also don't tend to remove ear wax in GP surgeries any longer. Instead, many patients will be referred to a specialist ear, nose and throat clinic, or they can opt for services provided by high street opticians and pharmacists.

You can't stop ear wax from building up, but you can avoid making things worse by not using cotton buds and ear plugs, which just jam the wax in further.

Reference: Dr Ellie Cannon for The Mail on Sunday