Private companies, including larger national chains and independents, offer services to remove ear wax. The NHS recommends using a dropper while lying your head on one side for a few minutes to let the oil work its way through your ear canal. The only cleaning necessary is to gently wipe inside the 'bowl' of your ear with a damp flannel over a finger, to clean away the wax from the entrance to the ear canal. In our recent survey 29% (of 9,019 Which? Connect panel members who remove ear wax from their ears) told us they use cotton buds to remove wax.

There's no shortage of intriguing and professional-looking devices online which profess to identify and remove ear wax with ease, but we'd advise against getting carried away with DIY options that aren't proven or advised. Studies show that rubber bulb irrigation which is low pressure could be worth trying before going to the GP and requesting ear irrigation, and could be successful in around half of cases. A 2022 RNID survey found that 71% of respondents had resorted to attempting to remove ear wax themselves, although two-thirds did not feel confident doing this. NICE recommends that ear-wax removal services should be available at your local GP surgery or a similar community setting. However, ear irrigation is no longer a core service in the standard GP contract, meaning that surgeries can choose whether to offer it or not – and many don’t.Ear wax can make your aids whistle, affect hearing tests and make it difficult to get an accurate impression of your ear for earmoulds. They might recommend medicines to dissolve the earwax. The earwax should fall out on its own or dissolve after about a week.

You should only need to take further steps if the wax becomes impacted. What causes wax build-up in ears?These treatments are usually painless. You might have to pay to have them done privately. Causes of earwax build-up The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises against trying to remove earwax or clean your ears by inserting small objects in your ear, even cotton buds . If you’re tempted to dig around in your ear with these or other poking devices, such as drills, spades, twiddly gadgets you found online or even your fingers – think again.

Ear candles – or Hopi ear candles – are hollow cones made of a fabric tube soaked in beeswax and/or paraffin. Ear candling could burn your face or ear – including the eardrum, ear canal or middle ear. It could cause bleeding or even puncture the eardrum. Weird gadgets you bought on the internetThe clinical evidence says that you should never insert foreign bodies the ear canal as these objects are potentially dangerous and can cause injuries to the ear canal or ear drum. Your family's health guardian| 360° wide angle and 3.9mm ultra-thin metal lens - easily accommodates different ear sizes and is really useful for your baby child

Some will treat patients with complex ear conditions, people who have had ear surgery or people with dementia – but many have long waiting lists.He concluded that both could cause damage to the ears and he had serious safety concerns about their use by the public, especially given the the inadequate guidance on safe use.