While it might seem like a nuisance, earwax serves an important function in protecting your ears. It’s actually a waxy oil called cerumen that’s produced inside the ear canal. It helps keep dust, microorganisms, foreign particles, and even water from entering and irritating your ears. The cerumen eventually makes its way out of the ears so it can be washed away.

In some cases, your ears may produce too much wax. That excess wax can harden and cause a blockage that can affect your hearing. Blockages are sometimes caused by using cotton swabs to clean the ear canal because the swabs actually wind up pushing the wax in deeper. Individuals who use hearing aids or earbuds could have an issue with wax buildup and blockages, too.

Earwax buildup symptoms

If you’re experiencing earwax buildup or blockages, you might notice some key symptoms, including the following:

• Full feeling in the ear
• Earache
• Sudden hearing loss
• Partial hearing loss
• Ringing in the ear
   

Excess earwax can also lead to an ear infection, so it’s important to see your doctor if you develop any of the following:

• Intense ear pain
• Constant ear pain
• Fluid coming from the ear
• Odor in the ear
• Persistent hearing loss
• Fever
• Cough
• Dizziness

Curettes are a helpful cerumen management tool for audiology and medical clinics. These tools come in many different styles and materials. There are so many options that they can be misunderstood. Curettes are shaped like a pen and have a handle and a tip. The tip is often a loop, scoop, or pick. Curettes are made of stainless steel, plastic, or carbon fibre. No curette material is superior to any other and material selection really depends on personal preference and access to hygienic reprocessing equipment. Curettes have many advantages, they are:

• highly effective
• quick to use
• low cost
• easy to clean or dispose of
• portable
• less intimidating than other tools

SS Medical Products offers a wide range of ear curette tools at incredibly affordable prices. Contact your representative today, or email us at sales@ssmedico.com