What is cerumen commonly called?

Cerumen, more commonly know as earwax, is produced by glands in the ear canal. It protects deeper areas of the ear by catching dust and other particles. Typically, cerumen naturally works its way to the ear's opening and either falls out or is cleaned away easily. However, sometimes cerumen can accumulate in the ear and cause blockage. Symptoms of blockage include earache, ear noise (scientifically called tinnitus), hearing impairment and pressure in the ear. There are several strategies for removing cerumen. While some can be performed at home, others may require a visit to a physician's office.


Physicians have two main strategies for removing cerumen: irrigation and curettage. Irrigation is the more-often-used method. Unlike in home-based irrigation, physicians can prescribe strong, specially designed medications to use in conjunction with the syringe, such as Murine Ear Drops and Debrox. Both of these medications have carbamide peroxide as their main active ingredient.
Curettage is another strategy, which involves the use of a long, curved tool called a curette. While applying suction, physicians use the curette to scrape out cerumen. However, this process requires a large amount of technical skill and can potentially cause eardrum and other inner ear damage.

• By Gurjot Singh Sodhi