Your Ears

Why cleanse with Audiclean?

The ear is the centre of balance and hearing. It is a fragile organ that must be treated with extreme caution. To prevent dirt from entering the delicate ear canal, the ear produces a protective layer of wax. The wax is then expelled naturally.

Using cotton buds works against thus natural process, forcing the dirty wax back into the ear canal. This can lead to problems, including wax build-up, ear odour and difficulty with hearing. Audiclean is the safe and gentle ear cleansing wash that works with your ears by washing away excess wax and dirt.

Which product should I use?

If you have blocked ears, pain or a ringing noise in the ears, which indicates a wax plug, you should start your treatment with Audiclean Ear Wax Remover. This will gently soften and disperse the ear wax. Follow each application of Ear Wax Remover with Audiclean Ear Wash, which is ideal to rinse out the loosened wax.

It can take up to 3 days to disperse hardened or compacted ear wax. Once the obstruction has cleared, regular use of Audiclean Ear Cleansing Wash will maintain your ears cleanliness and prevent future ear wax build ups.

What is ear wax?

Everyone has ear wax. Sweat glands inside the outer ear canal produce it to protect the ear canal and eardrum from foreign materials. It is made up of a mixture of skin exfoliation, cholesterol, fatty acids, minerals and skin.

It is produced in the outer third of the ear canal, and its composition varies from person to person. It is a barrier against external incursion but accumulation of ear wax can create plugs, which can be painful to remove and cause disorders such as reduction in hearing ability, buzzing, vertigo, loss of balance, eczema and fungal infections. It is also more difficult to examine the ear canal and detect meningitis symptoms.

There are three types of wax:

• Semi-liquid consistency: typically found in children and babies - removed with micro suction
• Solid consistency: typically found in adults and the elderly - removed by syringing or with a scraper
• Hard consistency: also found mainly in adults and the elderly - painful to extract

What contributes to excess ear wax?

Some people are more prone to excess ear wax than others, and there are several factors that may contribute to excess wax in the ear, including:

• Physiology: A narrow shaped ear canal may trap excess ear wax. This is often seen in children.
• Hair: The amount of hair in the ear, seen primarily in men.
• Environment: Working in dusty or dirty environments, particularly outdoors. In environments such as these, the ear may produce excess wax as a means to block dirt, etc. from entering the ear canal.
• Skin disorders: Certain conditions of the skin or scalp may contribute to excess ear wax production.
• Frequent hearing aid/headset users: Placing anything in the ear that keeps it sealed for a period of time may increase the production of wax, which can then lead to discomfort when using hearing aids or headsets.
• Swimmers: Frequently submerging the ears in water may contribute to increased wax production.
• Cotton buds: The use of cotton buds may actually push wax deeper into the ear, thus producing a blockage.

How do you know if you have excessive wax build-up?

There are several symptoms that indicate you may have a build-up of ear wax, including:

• Difficulty hearing
• Pain in the ear or ears
• Ringing noise in the ears
• A feeling of blockage in the ears
• Temporary deafness after swimming or taking a shower or bath

Cotton Buds vs Audiclean

Most people use cotton buds to clean their ears, since previously there has been no alternative. However it is not recommended to use cotton buds, as they push the ear wax further down the auditory canal and create recurring ear wax plugs.

Despite their gentle look, cotton buds can be harmful if they are misused and can cause a perforation of the eardrum/tympanic membrane. In fact there are some 7,000 injuries involving cotton buds in the UK, every year¹.

Cotton buds can also be responsible for various disorders such as itches, inflammation of the external ear canal, eczema, fungal infections, and chronic external otitis.

Ongoing and regular use of Audiclean will keep the ears cleansed and free of ear wax. Always wipe the ears after using Audiclean to remove the excess wax and to dry the ear.

14% of adults and 25% of children will at some stage in their life endure the discomfort of ear related disorders².

¹ Source: RoSPA
² Source: Community Pharmacy Q4/1999