A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen
Background: Ear wax, or cerumen, is a naturally occurring hydrophobic waxy substance frequently encountered in otorhinolaryngology practices. Despite the abundance of water- and oil-based ceruminolytic agents available nowadays, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the preferred agent type, c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-04-01
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| Series: | MGM Journal of Medical Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_50_24 |
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| author | Syed. Mohd. Ahmad Rajesh Kumar Suman Simran Kaur Pal Ayush Agrawal |
| author_facet | Syed. Mohd. Ahmad Rajesh Kumar Suman Simran Kaur Pal Ayush Agrawal |
| author_sort | Syed. Mohd. Ahmad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Ear wax, or cerumen, is a naturally occurring hydrophobic waxy substance frequently encountered in otorhinolaryngology practices. Despite the abundance of water- and oil-based ceruminolytic agents available nowadays, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the preferred agent type, composition, or ideal treatment duration. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to assess the efficacy of using distilled water as a wax-softening agent for ear wax removal and determine its advantages compared to over-the-counter (OTC) ceruminolytics. Materials and Methods: This double-masked, randomized prospective cohort study enrolled 236 patients seeking treatment for ear wax-related concerns at the Ear, Nose, Throat outpatient department. The cohort exclusively consisted of cases involving right ear wax, which were then randomly allocated into two groups: group A received distilled water ear drops, whereas group B received OTC ceruminolytic ear drops containing a combination of paradichlorobenzene with turpentine oil, benzocaine, and chlorbutol. Evaluation of patients took place pre- and post-intervention, focusing on three key parameters: the total duration required for ear suctioning, any additional instrumentation employed, and the occurrence of pre-procedure and post-procedure complications. Results: Out of the total 118 participants in the study, they were randomly distributed with 67 males and 51 females in group A and 63 males and 55 females in group B. During the pre-intervention complication assessment, nine subjects in group A reported ear blockage, whereas four subjects in group B did so. Additionally, two subjects in group A complained of pain, whereas none in group B did. Furthermore, five subjects in group A developed otitis externa, compared with three in group B. The average time required for ear suctioning to visualize the tympanic membrane was 9.24 ± 2.50 min in group A and 9.68 ± 2.18 min in group B. During the intervention, nine subjects in group A experienced pain during wax removal, whereas only six patients in Group B reported pain. After the interventions, five patients in group A complained of increased ear pain compared with seven in group B. Mild post-interventional pain was managed with an as-needed dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Statistically significant differences were observed in the study parameters between the subjects of the two groups. Conclusion: This study confirms that distilled water can serve as a viable method for dispersing wax, proving its efficacy comparable with commercially available OTC ceruminolytics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2d60ab0ff7a44323ac5feb38017e39ef |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2347-7946 2347-7962 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | MGM Journal of Medical Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-2d60ab0ff7a44323ac5feb38017e39ef2025-01-25T10:19:23ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsMGM Journal of Medical Sciences2347-79462347-79622024-04-0111226226510.4103/mgmj.mgmj_50_24A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumenSyed. Mohd. AhmadRajesh Kumar SumanSimran Kaur PalAyush AgrawalBackground: Ear wax, or cerumen, is a naturally occurring hydrophobic waxy substance frequently encountered in otorhinolaryngology practices. Despite the abundance of water- and oil-based ceruminolytic agents available nowadays, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the preferred agent type, composition, or ideal treatment duration. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to assess the efficacy of using distilled water as a wax-softening agent for ear wax removal and determine its advantages compared to over-the-counter (OTC) ceruminolytics. Materials and Methods: This double-masked, randomized prospective cohort study enrolled 236 patients seeking treatment for ear wax-related concerns at the Ear, Nose, Throat outpatient department. The cohort exclusively consisted of cases involving right ear wax, which were then randomly allocated into two groups: group A received distilled water ear drops, whereas group B received OTC ceruminolytic ear drops containing a combination of paradichlorobenzene with turpentine oil, benzocaine, and chlorbutol. Evaluation of patients took place pre- and post-intervention, focusing on three key parameters: the total duration required for ear suctioning, any additional instrumentation employed, and the occurrence of pre-procedure and post-procedure complications. Results: Out of the total 118 participants in the study, they were randomly distributed with 67 males and 51 females in group A and 63 males and 55 females in group B. During the pre-intervention complication assessment, nine subjects in group A reported ear blockage, whereas four subjects in group B did so. Additionally, two subjects in group A complained of pain, whereas none in group B did. Furthermore, five subjects in group A developed otitis externa, compared with three in group B. The average time required for ear suctioning to visualize the tympanic membrane was 9.24 ± 2.50 min in group A and 9.68 ± 2.18 min in group B. During the intervention, nine subjects in group A experienced pain during wax removal, whereas only six patients in Group B reported pain. After the interventions, five patients in group A complained of increased ear pain compared with seven in group B. Mild post-interventional pain was managed with an as-needed dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Statistically significant differences were observed in the study parameters between the subjects of the two groups. Conclusion: This study confirms that distilled water can serve as a viable method for dispersing wax, proving its efficacy comparable with commercially available OTC ceruminolytics.https://doi.org/10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_50_24cerumen managementceruminolyticsear wax |
| spellingShingle | Syed. Mohd. Ahmad Rajesh Kumar Suman Simran Kaur Pal Ayush Agrawal A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen MGM Journal of Medical Sciences cerumen management ceruminolytics ear wax |
| title | A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen |
| title_full | A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen |
| title_fullStr | A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen |
| title_full_unstemmed | A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen |
| title_short | A comparative study on the efficacy of over-the-counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen |
| title_sort | comparative study on the efficacy of over the counter wax solvents versus distilled water for managing ear cerumen |
| topic | cerumen management ceruminolytics ear wax |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_50_24 |
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