When compared with no treatment, water, hydrogen peroxide and olive oil had a clinically beneficial effect but there was no clinically important benefit of sodium bicarbonate in facilitating immediate irrigation.

It may be described as ringing, buzzing, whooshing, humming, hissing, throbbing, music or singing, and patients may hear these sounds in one or both ears, or in their head [14]Over about 2 weeks, lumps of earwax should fall out of your ear, especially at night when you're lying down. Adults may also experience glue ear. This usually occurs after a cold and, although rare, it can be the presentation of a mass in the post-nasal space. As glue ear is less common in adult patients, they should be referred to their GP who can then refer them to the ENT specialist.

Never try to remove a build-up of earwax yourself with your fingers, a cotton bud or any other object. This can damage your ear and push the wax further down. If, when a patient is asked to hum, they hear the sound loudest in their deaf ear, they have conductive hearing loss [6] A build-up of earwax is a common problem that can often be treated using eardrops bought from a pharmacy. Patients presenting with sudden hearing loss in one ear as a sole symptom should be referred urgently to a GP. The cause may be sensorineural (i.e. caused by a lesion or disease of the inner ear or the auditory nerve) and oral steroids with or without antiviral medication may be beneficial [11], [12]Ear wax drops and sprays are liquid solutions which help to soften, disperse and sometimes dissolve ear wax. This process is called ‘cerumenolysis’. Although ear wax drops and sprays can be an effective standalone treatment for ear wax, they are more often used prior to undergoing some other form of treatment for ear wax, such as ear syringing or ear irrigation. These children are assessed by audiology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists and they may be monitored, offered hearing aids or advised on surgery (i.e. the placement of ventilation tubes often referred to as ‘grommets’) depending on the level of hearing loss and its effect on the child, as well as the appearance of the eardrums [5] Some ear wax remover liquids come in spray form, which you may find easier to administer than drops. Some also come with special syringe-style applicators to help get the solution safely into your ear and deliver a measured amount with each squirt. There are several different types of eardrops you can use, including drops containing sodium bicarbonate, olive oil or almond oil.

Swimmer’s ear is an infection of your outer ear. Bacteria usually cause it, but fungi (more than one fungus) can cause it as well. People with swimmer’s ear may also develop pain, itching and swelling. When comparing ear drops against each other, the only clinically important benefit observed was when chlorobutanol was compared with saline drops prior to immediate syringing. The committee considered that ear syringing with a large metal syringe or similar obsolete equipment is potentially harmful. The design of the syringe and the inability to control the water pressure increases the risk of damage to the ear canal and tympanic membrane. This treatment should no longer be used in current practice. Irrigation using an electronic ear irrigation machine which pumps water into the ear at a controlled pressure is safer. No, antibiotic ear drops aren’t available over the counter. These medications require a prescription from a healthcare provider. Although it is not always clear what causes tinnitus, it is often associated with damage to the inner ear [15]If you have earwax buildup, certain ear drops can soften and loosen your earwax for easier removal. There are three types of softening drops for earwax: water-based, non-water-based and oil-based. If you have impacted earwax, a healthcare provider may recommend ear drops containing: If you have itchy ears without an infection, then corticosteroid ear drops can help ease your symptoms. If you have an infection, you’ll also need antifungal or antibiotic ear drops. Some ear drops contain both anti-infective medications and corticosteroids.