Remove earwax if a build-up is causing hearing loss problems, NICE tells primary care
GP surgeries or community clinics should offer to remove earwax if a build-up is contributing to someone’s hearing loss.
This means patients do not need to be referred to a specialist ear, nose and throat (ENT) service for the same procedure, new draft guidance from NICE says.
Earwax can be removed using an electronic machine that pumps water into the ear at a controlled pressure, known as ear irrigation.
Patients should be given ear drops to soften the wax before irrigation, the draft guidance says.