Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSymptomsWhat to DoWhat Not to DoWhen to Seek CareMedical TreatmentPrevention Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Symptoms
What to Do
What Not to Do
When to Seek Care
Medical Treatment
Prevention Tips
Earwax removal in children is avoided if the earwax doesn’t cause symptoms. If there is itching, discomfort, or hearing loss, you can use eardrops made of mineral oil or diluted hydrogen peroxide that helps soften earwax so it comes out on its own. There is an over-the-counter (OTC) product called Debrox that can do the same.
Instruments like a cotton swab should never be used to remove earwax; evenirrigating the earwith a bulb syringe should be avoided unless your child’spediatriciangives their OK. If needed, they can perform a manual extraction of earwax using specialized tools.
Verywell / Julie Bang
Why Your Child Has Earwax
Children are vulnerable to earwax impaction for several reasons:
Signs of Excessive Earwax in Children
It is thought that up to 10% of children experience earwax impaction at some point in their childhood. While many cases areasymptomatic(without symptoms), other kids may experience symptoms like:
Babies or toddlers with impacted earwax will often cry, tug at their ear, or appear disoriented and wobbly.
At-Home Earwax Removal: What to Do
Earwax removal in children is performed with ear drops that soften the wax. There are several products you can use to do this safely:
Some experts recommend a 50:50 mixture of mineral oil and white vinegar, although this can cause stinging if there is dryness and cracking in the ear.
How to Apply Eardrops
To apply eardrops safely:
You do not need to flush out the ear to remove the earwax. In most cases, it will come out on its own or while the child is bathing or showering.
To Flush or Not Flush?
Generally speaking, it is neither necessary nor particularly safe to irrigate (flush) earwax fromchildren under 6 years of age. Doing so poses certain risks, including eardrum damage and ear infection. It may also force the wax even further into the smaller ear canal.
These concerns are the same forchildren 6 years and older, although the risk may be lower given their ear canals are larger, more angular, and less likely to trap water.
For these children, you may be able to safely irrigate the ear as follows:
Whatever the child’s age, do not perform ear irrigation without first speaking with a pediatrician.
There are many home remedies and devices that people turn to for earwax removal. None of these are considered safe and should never be used.
Removal techniques toavoidinclude:
There is no situation in which any of these tools are considered appropriate or safe.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
You should take your child to their pediatrician if there is impaction and the earwax does not come out on its own or with conservative home treatment.
You should also seek treatment if earwax impaction causes:
How Pediatricians Remove Earwax
Tools used for extraction include:
Cerumenolytics with ear irrigation are usually the first-line approach to earwax extraction. If these fail or cannot be used, manual extraction may be used.
Preventing Earwax Buildup
There are several ways to prevent your child’s earwax from building up:
Summary
Do not insert anything into your ears to clear ear wax, including Q-Tips, or use remedies like ear candles or home suction devices which can damage the ear. If earwax is causing hearing loss, ear pain, or ear discharge, see a pediatrician for treatment.
A Word From VerywellIt’s easy to do more harm than good when trying to clean your child’s earwax. If you choose to clean your child’s ears, the less invasive the treatment, the better. Using hydrogen peroxide or other wax-softening agents is preferable to attempting to use a Q-tip to clean inside the ear. See a pediatrician if you have any concerns.—DANIEL COMBS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
It’s easy to do more harm than good when trying to clean your child’s earwax. If you choose to clean your child’s ears, the less invasive the treatment, the better. Using hydrogen peroxide or other wax-softening agents is preferable to attempting to use a Q-tip to clean inside the ear. See a pediatrician if you have any concerns.—DANIEL COMBS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
It’s easy to do more harm than good when trying to clean your child’s earwax. If you choose to clean your child’s ears, the less invasive the treatment, the better. Using hydrogen peroxide or other wax-softening agents is preferable to attempting to use a Q-tip to clean inside the ear. See a pediatrician if you have any concerns.
—DANIEL COMBS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax management.Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Earwax.Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): earwax (cerumen impaction) executive summary.Otolaryngol–Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1):14-29. doi:10.1177/0194599816678832Cedars-Sinai.Impacted earwax.Harvard Health.What is the best way to remove earwax?Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.How to safely clean your child’s ears.DailyMed.Debrox- carbamide peroxide liquid.Alberta Health Services (Canada).Earwax removal: care instructions.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax buildup.University of California Los Angeles.6 things you need to know about earwax removal.Horton GA, Simpson MTW, Beyea MM, Beyea JA.Cerumen management: an updated clinical review and evidence-based approach to primary care physicians.J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan 29;11:2150132720904181. doi:10.1177/2150132720904181Bond University.Don’t wear earphones all day – your ears need to breathe.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax management.Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Earwax.Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): earwax (cerumen impaction) executive summary.Otolaryngol–Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1):14-29. doi:10.1177/0194599816678832Cedars-Sinai.Impacted earwax.Harvard Health.What is the best way to remove earwax?Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.How to safely clean your child’s ears.DailyMed.Debrox- carbamide peroxide liquid.Alberta Health Services (Canada).Earwax removal: care instructions.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax buildup.University of California Los Angeles.6 things you need to know about earwax removal.Horton GA, Simpson MTW, Beyea MM, Beyea JA.Cerumen management: an updated clinical review and evidence-based approach to primary care physicians.J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan 29;11:2150132720904181. doi:10.1177/2150132720904181Bond University.Don’t wear earphones all day – your ears need to breathe.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax management.Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Earwax.Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): earwax (cerumen impaction) executive summary.Otolaryngol–Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1):14-29. doi:10.1177/0194599816678832Cedars-Sinai.Impacted earwax.Harvard Health.What is the best way to remove earwax?Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.How to safely clean your child’s ears.DailyMed.Debrox- carbamide peroxide liquid.Alberta Health Services (Canada).Earwax removal: care instructions.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax buildup.University of California Los Angeles.6 things you need to know about earwax removal.Horton GA, Simpson MTW, Beyea MM, Beyea JA.Cerumen management: an updated clinical review and evidence-based approach to primary care physicians.J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan 29;11:2150132720904181. doi:10.1177/2150132720904181Bond University.Don’t wear earphones all day – your ears need to breathe.
Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax management.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Earwax.
Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): earwax (cerumen impaction) executive summary.Otolaryngol–Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1):14-29. doi:10.1177/0194599816678832
Cedars-Sinai.Impacted earwax.
Harvard Health.What is the best way to remove earwax?
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.How to safely clean your child’s ears.
DailyMed.Debrox- carbamide peroxide liquid.
Alberta Health Services (Canada).Earwax removal: care instructions.
Seattle Children’s Hospital.Earwax buildup.
University of California Los Angeles.6 things you need to know about earwax removal.
Horton GA, Simpson MTW, Beyea MM, Beyea JA.Cerumen management: an updated clinical review and evidence-based approach to primary care physicians.J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan 29;11:2150132720904181. doi:10.1177/2150132720904181
Bond University.Don’t wear earphones all day – your ears need to breathe.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
