title: Managing cerumen impaction.
abstract: The external auditory canal is self-cleaning. Excessive cerumen accumulation usually results from misguided attempts to remove wax and may go unnoticed until a hearing loss occurs. Mechanical removal of the wax or use of a ceruminolytic agent to soften it is recommended--irrigation may contaminate the middle ear space.
mesh_terms: D002571:Cerumen; D006801:Humans; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000209:etiology