Cerumen Impaction Quiz

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Reviewed By:

Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC

Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))

Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).

Rohini R, MD

Rohini R, MD (Otolaryngology (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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Content updated on Jan 19, 2024

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How Ubie Can Help You

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

  • Trained and reviewed by 50+ doctors, our AI Symptom Checker utilizes data from 1,500+ medical centers

  • Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms

  • Cerumen Impaction as well as similar diseases can be checked at the same time.

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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Hearing issues

  • Hearing loss worse on the left

  • Can't hear things properly

  • Hearing loss worse on one side than the other

  • Deafness

  • Deafness worse on one side

  • Have trouble hearing

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What is Cerumen Impaction?

Also known as impacted earwax in the ear canal. In many cases, using cotton swabs to clean the ears may worsen the condition instead of improving it due to pushing the ear wax deeper into the ear canal.

Typical 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

Doctor's Diagnostic Questionson Cerumen Impaction

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:

  • Do you have trouble hearing?

  • Is your ringing in just one ear?

  • Is there a big difference in your hearing between your left and right ear?

Treatmentof Cerumen Impaction

Avoid using cotton swabs to clean the ears, as this often pushes wax deeper. Oil drops (mineral or olive) can soften the wax, allowing the ear to naturally expel it. Over-the-counter drops with peroxide derivatives may help as well. If that doesn't work, a doctor can perform simple procedures such as flushing or suctioning to remove the wax.

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View the symptoms of Cerumen Impaction

  • Hearing loss

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

User Testimonials

Reviewed By:

Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC

Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))

Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).

Rohini R, MD

Rohini R, MD (Otolaryngology (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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