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Dr Simon Aburn Dr Shashi Auckloo Dr Mike von Fraunhofer DEVON ROAD SURGERY 32 Devon Road South Darenth Dartford DA4 9AB Tel: 01322 862121 EAR WAX – PATIENT INFORMATION WHAT IS EAR WAX? Ear wax forms a protective coating of the skin in the ear canal. Small amounts are made all the time. Flakes or crusts of wax break off and fall out of the ear from time to time. The quantity of ear wax varies greatly from person to person. Plugs of wax form in some people. This may cause a feeling of fullness and dulled hearing. A plug of wax is not a serious problem, more a nuisance. You only need to remove wax if it is causing symptoms such as dulled hearing, itch or discomfort. NOTE: Do not try and clean the ear canal with cotton wool buds etc. This can make things worse as you will push some wax deeper inside. It may also cause an ear infection. Let the ear “clean itself”. As a Practice, we try and avoid syringing as much as possible due to the potential complications such as an infection, or more seriously, damage to the ear canal or ear drum. Therefore, we suggest the following treatment: Ear drops of warmed olive oil or similar 3-4 times daily for 14 days Do not use cotton wool as it stops the oil from working Ear syringing may not be advised if you have certain ear problems. In particular, if you: Have had surgery for some types of ear problems Have recurring infection of the ear canal (recurring otitis externa) Have or have had a perforated ear drum Are deaf in your other ear (as there is a small risk that syringing can cause deafness in your good ear and so make you deaf in both ears) NOTE: If you are still experiencing problems following the advice given, please make an appointment with one of our practice nurses. N.B. Patients will not be assessed for ear syringing unless they have administered at least two weeks treatment of olive oil CHECKLIST / CONSENT FORM Appendix 2 Name........................................................................... D.O.B...........………… Past history Previous irrigation problem following Rt ear Left Ear Yes / No comments Yes / No comments ear Recent ear perforation Previous ear mastoidectomy surgery e.g. Discharge from the ear Current or recent ear infection Catarrh or cold Ear pain Grommets Cleft palate Foreign body in situ Use of olive oil appropriately for a minimum of 14 days The nurse has asked questions related to the above conditions. She has explained the proposed treatment, and given me information on ear care. I understand that ear irrigation carries a rare risk of perforation to the eardrum. I understand and consent to the proposed treatment. Signature......................................... Date ……………………