Cerumen Impaction Quiz
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Dr. Rohini R is an ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, with a Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery and a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine and Lasers. Besides clinical practice and working with Ubie, she is actively training and mentoring medical students and residents. She has functioned in various work settings - teaching hospitals, private and free health centers, and worked with patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds due to her experience in free hospitals and volunteering in India and Singapore.
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People with these symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
Can't hear from my right ear
Can't hear well on both sides but one side (left / right) is worse
Can't hear from my left ear
Hearing loss worse on one side than the other
Have trouble hearing
Deafness worse on the left or right
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Learn more about Cerumen impaction
Content updated on Nov 2, 2022
What is cerumen impaction?
Also known as earwax impaction. It can caused by infections, genetics or ear deformities. In many cases, digging the ears with cotton buds may worsen, rather than improve the condition.
Symptoms of cerumen impaction
Hearing difficulty
Ringing sounds in the ear, i.e. Tinnitus, on one side only
Significant difference in hearing difficulty between my left and right ear
Questions your doctor may ask to check for cerumen impaction
Your doctor may ask these questions to diagnose cerumen impaction
Do you have hearing problems?
Do you have ringing in one ear only?
Do you feel that there is a large difference in your hearing between left and right ear?
Treatment for cerumen impaction
Avoid digging the ears with cotton buds, as this often pushes wax deeper. Olive oil drops can soften the wax, allowing the ear to naturally let wax out. Failing that, a doctor can perform simple procedures such as flushing or suctioning to remove the wax.
View the symptoms of Cerumen impaction
Diseases related to Cerumen impaction
References
Michaudet C, Malaty J. Cerumen Impaction: Diagnosis and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2018 Oct 15;98(8):525-529. PMID: 30277727.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2018/1015/p525.html
Sevy JO, Singh A. Cerumen Impaction Removal. 2021 Dec 15. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 28846265.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448155/
McCarter DF, Courtney AU, Pollart SM. Cerumen impaction. Am Fam Physician. 2007 May 15;75(10):1523-8. PMID: 17555144.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2007/0515/p1523.html
Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, Ballachanda BB, Hackell JM, Krouse HJ, Lawlor CM, Lin K, Parham K, Stutz DR, Walsh S, Woodson EA, Yanagisawa K, Cunningham ER Jr. Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Earwax (Cerumen Impaction). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017 Jan;156(1_suppl):S1-S29. doi: 10.1177/0194599816671491. Erratum in: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017 Sep;157(3):539. PMID: 28045591.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0194599816671491
Cerumen Impaction. Pediatrics. 2017 Feb;139(2):e20163912. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-3912. PMID: 28138008.
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/139/2/e20163912/60306/Cerumen-Impaction
Reviewed By:
Rohini R, MD (Ear, nose, throat (ENT))
Dr. Rohini R is an ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, with a Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery and a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine and Lasers. Besides clinical practice and working with Ubie, she is actively training and mentoring medical students and residents. She has functioned in various work settings - teaching hospitals, private and free health centers, and worked with patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds due to her experience in free hospitals and volunteering in India and Singapore.
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Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD
Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)
National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan