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Halton Hearing Care offer Home Visits in Runcorn, Frodsham, Helsby, Widnes, Warrington & Liverpool.
If you are suffering from a build up of ear wax which is blocking your ear; causing hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness or discomfort – then you should have the built up ear wax removed as soon as possible to prevent further problems with your hearing.
The procedure normally takes between 20 and 30 minutes to complete and in most cases, relief is instant. All this in the comfort of your own home.
Ear wax can be a major factor in hearing loss, however sometimes wax may not always be the defining issue. Should you require further help, Halton Hearing Care can point you in the right direction whether it's further medical help, routine aftercare or looking for an independent hearing aids provider. We can offer you the right advice towards the next steps needed in your hearing journey.
Please note that we are not a provider of Hearing Aids, we can however offer advice if needed of the various pathways available with other providers such as the NHS, AQP programmes or Independent providers close to your area. This makes us someone who you can trust to be truly impartial.
Before treatment is carried out we recommend oil treatment for the ear. This is advised for a period of at least 3 times a day over at least a 3 day period. We highly recommend Earol which can be purchased from most pharmacies. This is an olive oil based spray which penetrates the wax much better, especially in the cases of hard deep rooted wax. By following these steps there is a much better chance of 1st time successful and comfortable removal.
We advise against the use of products such as Otex or other products that contain sodium bicarbonate as this is highly aggressive and not suitable for all kinds of ear wax.
Micro suction is the preferred method of ear wax removal used by ENT (ear nose and throat) consultants. It is a safe and pain-free method of wax removal. Micro Suction uses a low pressure suction device to remove the ear wax. It acts as a mini vacuum, but it is painless and it’s less invasive than the irrigation method.
As our gift to you, all wax removal procedures will be offered at the special introductory price of £50. This includes the cost of wax removal, regardless of whether it's one ear or both, aftercare advice and guidance. This includes the cost of the home visit which would normally incur an additional fee. Follow Up appointments maybe subject to further charges.
In the event of no wax removal being required, a £30 ear check fee will be applied.
Does Microsuction Hurt?
In nearly all cases, ear wax microsuction does not hurt at all, as the medical suction unit is designed to use a very gentle level of suction. It can be a little noisy, but not a lot more than the noise of a hand dryer or vacuum cleaner. While some websites say that softening with ear drops is not necessary, we believe that using Earol sterile olive oil spray for at three days prior to your procedure will make it more comfortable and maximise the chances of 100% ear wax removal, especially for people who have a history of very hard or impacted ear wax. People who have had a confirmed diagnoses of ear drum perforation should avoid using Earol or other ear drops.
A recent outer ear infection (otitis externa), or sometimes the use of ear drops containing hydrogen peroxide, urea peroxide or sodium bicarbonate can make the skin of the ear canal more sensitive, and as a consequence a microsuction procedure may be a little uncomfortable in these limited cases.
Most clients, however, find that an ear wax suction procedure is completely painless, and are delighted to be able to hear properly again.
Is Microsuction Completely Safe?
Microsuction is considered to be the safest method of ear wax removal. Most procedures pass completely without incident, which is partly down to the inherent efficiency and safety of the method, and partly down to the skill of our practitioners.
Like any medical procedure, despite our best efforts and high level of training, sometimes things happen that we would rather not happen. These tend to be minor in nature, and few and far between.
What Is The Difference Between Microsuction And Syringing?
Syringing uses a syringe to squirt water into the ear, while irrigation uses an electric irrigation pump. A small handheld magnifier with a built in light called an otoscope is used to locate the ear wax blockage. The idea is that by squirting water past the wax blockage the water pressure will build up behind the wax and push it out. As the ear is full of water during the flushing process, it is not possible for the nurse to accurately see what is happening throughout the whole procedure. It is usually necessary to loosen the wax by applying olive oil for around two weeks prior to an irrigation procedure to make sure that the wax comes out easily. In a way, the method is slightly counter-intuitive as you want to get the wax out, but they push high pressure water in the hope of getting the wax out. No wonder some people call the irrigation method "spray and pray". The danger is that wax can get pushed further into the ear canal.
Also, if there is a complete blockage, it is not possible to examine the ear drum for a potential perforation or middle ear infection before performing an irrigation procedure. Irrigation should never be performed when the ear drum has been previously perforated, when the ear drum is currently perforated, or if there is a current or recent middle ear infection. Doing so could re-perforate a previously perforated ear drum, or perforated an ear drum that is weakened from a middle ear infection. Then water and ear wax can get flushed past the perforated ear drum into the middle ear, causing pain, dizziness and ear infection.
When an irrigation procedure goes well, it can provide instant relief, however when it goes wrong, some of the potential side effects are:
When weighing up the benefits versus the risks, many GP surgeries have stopped performing ear irrigation procedures altogether.
Microsuction, on the other hand, uses very gentle medical suction accurately applied to the ear wax. Our microsuction practitioners are highly trained and use portable ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) loupes, so that they can see exactly what is happening throughout your procedure and remove the ear wax with pinpoint accuracy. Because microsuction gently draws wax from the ear using low pressure medical suction, it cannot push wax further in, and the success rate is therefore far greater that that of irrigation. Microsuction is also considerably safer than irrigation. It is no wonder that microsuction is considered to be the gold standard when it comes to ear wax removal. For this reason we only offer Micro Suction as a procedure.
Can we treat children?
Unfortunately we can only see patients over the age of 18. For anyone under this age we do advise you contact your local GP/NHS provider.
Are same day appointments available?
Yes, however this is subject to availability and prior significant usage of drops to soften the wax.
Appointment Fee Charges
Ear Wax Removal - £50 including home visit charge - Please note that visits that do not require wax removal due other issues such as infections, fluid behind the ear or no wax present at all will be subject to a standard ear check charge of £30.
** Follow Up's maybe subject to a £20 charge **
** Out of listed area appointments are available but may be subject to an additional travel fee **
General Ear Check - £30 including home visit
Hearing Screener - £30 including home visit
Impression Taking - £40 including home visit
** Ear canals must be free of wax to proceed - If wax removal is required then further fees will apply **
Tinnitus Advice - £60 - 1 hour appointment