Troubled by earwax? Then you might be tempted by a device that can, it’s claimed, remove it in just 35 seconds.
Impacted earwax, a build-up of dead skin, oils and dirt, can be painful and may cause earache, hearing loss and infection.
The OtoSet Ear Cleaning System, which looks and is worn like a pair of headphones, is designed to remove it by gently spraying water into the ear canal before sucking out the waxy debris, according to SafKan Health, its U.S. developer (patients are first given ear drops to soften earwax).
The OtoSet itself consists of an adjustable silicone headband with two containers in each earpiece: a clear plastic container with distilled water and a disposable collecting container.
There is a disposable ear tip in each piece — water flows through these into the ear canal. You can choose to clean one or both ears, pressing a button on the side of the device to activate the automated cleaning process.
The dirty water and wax are then removed by microsuction, draining into the collecting chamber.
The OtoSet Ear Cleaning System, which looks and is worn like a pair of headphones, is designed to remove it by gently spraying water into the ear canal before sucking out the waxy debris, according to SafKan Health
OtoSet is the first ear-cleaning device to be given the green light by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after demonstrating its safety and effectiveness in clinical tests in America.
This might sound like welcome news for the estimated 2.3 million people in the UK who need professional earwax removal each year.
Older people are particularly prone to impacted earwax, as the wax becomes drier with age. Other factors that can cause it are naturally producing a lot of earwax, and having narrow or hairy ear canals.
But could the OtoSet headphones — currently only available in U.S. clinics — really help?
In fact, experts argue we’re often best to leave our ears well alone.
‘There’s an old quote among ear doctors to not put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear, and as a rule it’s still very much the case,’ says Matthew Trotter, a consultant ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.
‘We always advise people not to fiddle about with their inner ear.
‘Using ear buds or anything else to prod inside your ear can easily cause a lot of damage because it’s a delicate area.
‘Also, a bud does not remove the impacted wax but usually pushes it further in. It can greatly worsen any existing problem.’
Sophy Magee, an audiologist with Boots Hearingcare, adds that earwax plays an important role in keeping ears clean — and attempts to remove it are more likely to cause an infection.
‘Earwax is produced by the ceruminous and sebaceous glands which sit in the outer third of the ear canal,’ she explains.
‘It acts like a natural barrier for the ear canal to trap things like dust, dirt and bacteria. So if we produce a normal amount, which most of us do, we should not need to remove it. The skin in your ears grows outwards from the middle of your ear drum — this is called epithelial migration and will naturally carry some excess earwax out of your ear canal, which then falls away.’
However, some people do produce greater amounts of earwax that’s not removed as effectively, says Mr Trotter.
The wax then tends to become impacted. This can occur following ear surgery, ‘but sometimes it’s just one of those unfortunate things’, he adds.
Mr Trotter advises seeing your GP if you have impacted wax: ‘They will usually examine your ears then suggest ear drops, which can often sort out the problem.’
Sophy Magee adds that ‘the worst thing you can do is poke around — you could even burst your ear drum.
‘Often we look into someone’s ear and see wax in the inner two-thirds of the ear canal, so we know instantly that someone has been poking around because it’s not produced there.’
There is a safe approach you can try at home, she says. ‘We recommend medical-grade olive oil, available from a pharmacy — you use a dropper to put two or three drops in one ear at a time, or use it as a spray. This softens the wax, helping it come out naturally.’
Mr Trotter thinks the OtoSet, which costs clinicians £2,230, could be a good addition in some clinical settings.
‘There have been two small studies by its maker and a fair number of patients who have used it since have not identified any particular issues with it,’ he says.
‘I think it’s quite an interesting device and seems to be an upgrade on the way wax was removed from the ear canal by syringing,’ adds Mr Trotter, referring to the old practice of inserting water into the ear canal using a large syringe.
In 2018, guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said ear syringing should no longer be used due to safety concerns; instead people should first try over-the-counter ear drops.
‘If this is unsuccessful, electronic irrigation with water under a constant pressure or ideally microsuction — the gold standard for ear wax removal — is recommended,’ says Mr Trotter.
‘Microsuction is carried out by a clinician using a microscope to look into the ear canal, so they can see exactly what they’re doing. A suction probe is then used to vacuum out the excess wax,’ he says.
‘But in a non-ENT setting such as a High Street audiologist clinic, I imagine this OtoSet device would remove the wax in a safe manner.’
SafKan Health is now working on a consumer version but Mr Trotter is wary: ‘The problem I would see with this is that it presupposes it’s being used for the removal of earwax build-up, which may not be the cause of the symptoms, which might need investigation by a specialist.’
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