Ear syringing is dangerous and doesn't work, experts warn

Ear syringing is ineffective and could even permanently damage patients’ ears, experts have warned.

In new guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that ear syringing, where a large syringe is used to pump water into the ear, is potentially harmful and should no longer be used.

NICE recommends that medical practitioners should instead use an electronic irrigator if a build-up is contributing to someone's hearing loss.

It said that this procedure, where a machine pumps water into the ear at a controlled pressure, is safer. Health chiefs want to see it increasingly used at GP surgeries or community clinics.

Other accepted methods of earwax removal include microsuction and manual removal, but the Institute warned that that people should not use cotton buds to clean their ears. Cotton buds can damage the ear canal and ear drum, and even push wax further down.

Katherine Harrop-Griffiths, consultant in audiovestibular medicine and chairwoman of the guideline committee, said: "Earwax build-up which is causing hearing problems should be managed in primary or community care.

"Ear irrigation is an effective method of removing earwax. Ear drops should be used to soften the wax before irrigation, either immediately before or for up to five days before the procedure."

The use of a metal ear syringe risks damaging the tympanic membrane and the oval and round windows of the ear. Syringing is a risky procedure because it is difficult to control water pressure, which damage the ear and cause infection.