Ear wax provides a number of important wellbeing, safety, and practical benefits for our aural health but, sometimes in life, you can have too much of a good thing!

That’s where Heather Grainger comes in, providing a professional-standard extraction service at Pinnacle Dermatology for locals for whom high levels of this naturally occurring substance have become a problem.

“It’s produced by glands and plays a central role in protecting your hearing function and also physically protects the eardrum,” Ms Grainger explained.

“Ear wax is sticky, so it effectively keeps dust and other objects from entering the ear canal, and it’s acidic so it protects the ear from infections,” she added.

However, long-term build-up can cause blockages that impede hearing and become uncomfortable for the sufferer, and age doesn’t exclude the condition. Ms Grainger travels every month to the region to see clients and, understandably, has a pretty full dance card at the moment!

“I’ve extracted wax that was blocking the hearing of a two-year-old and I also have three teenagers who I see every second visit.

“People who have it as a chronic problem, I suggest six-month visits because, if the wax is naturally heavy, your ears won’t be working very well,” Ms Grainger said.

There is another growing group in our ageing community for whom it can also become a particular problem, Ms Grainger explained.

“If you’ve got a hearing aid, it can affect its function – the hearing aid can actually increase compaction of ear wax in your ear canal. I say to people, ‘If your hearing aid is not working to its optimal extent, think wax first!’” Ms Grainger revealed.

“Also, if you’ve got tinnitus (chronic ringing in the ear), wax plugs can make the condition more uncomfortable, more claustrophobic.”

Ms Grainger uses a top-of-the-line treatment regime in her work that is designed to lower discomfort and achieve a better result.

“I’m a registered nurse and I remove wax from people’s ears using micro-suction; it’s the same technique used by ear, nose, and throat specialists. It sucks the wax out, rather than using a liquid to wash it out.

“I use a small suction machine and little glass tubes; sometimes I get wax plugs up to 2cm long,” she revealed.

With plenty on her plate, Ms Grainger is also looking for an assistant to help reduce the burden that she now carries on visits to the region from her home in the Apple Isle.

“I’ve been doing it for four years and I’m looking for a registered nurse or an audiologist to train up,” Ms Grainger said.

“If I could get someone locally, instead of travelling up every month, I could come every six weeks, say, and it would help lift the load,” she concluded.

For more information, email Ms Grainger at contact@ear2ear.com.au, or call 0455 629 905.