It’s normal for your body to produce cerumen, or earwax, and it actually helps protect and lubricate your ears. If you didn’t have earwax, your ears would probably be itchy and dry. Earwax has antibacterial properties, which means your ears are self-cleaning. Earwax is like a filter for your ears, keeping out harmful things like dirt and dust, and trapping them so they don’t go deep inside. If it does build up inside your ear canal, especially if it clogs the canal, then you should remove at least some of the wax to prevent your hearing from being impaired. If that happens to you, you might ask how much does it cost to get your ears cleaned?

How to tell if you need professional ear wax removal?

Usually, you only need to go to a professional for ear wax removal if your ear wax becomes impacted. An impaction occurs when the cerumen isn't pushed out of the ear canal effectively and accumulates. It can then harden and build up to fill a significant portion of the ear canal - it might even clog it altogether.

Impacted cerumen is one of the most common reasons people end up visiting a doctor for ear problems, according to a paper by the University of Virginia Health Systems. An excessive build-up of earwax affects one in 10 children and one in 20 adults in the United States.

What doctor removes ear wax?

Usually, if you have an ear infection or impaction you go to a general practitioner or an ear, nose and throat specialist. They will do the examination and determine the next course of action. Removing ear wax isn’t that complicated though, and so the process is sometimes done by a nurse or nurse practitioner.

How often should you have your ears cleaned?

Your ears are self cleaning so you shouldn’t need to have them cleaned professionally very often. If, for some reason, they are getting clogged, or impacted, then you should have them cleaned, but usually this is done infrequently. If you have your own otoscope camera, like the ScopeAround digital models, then you don’t have to worry about how much does it cost to get ears cleaned - you can just do it yourself at home.

Is ear wax removal painful?

Having your ears cleaned usually isn’t that painful, but if you have an impaction then you might experience some discomfort during the earwax removal process. It also depends on the way the ears are cleaned. Manual wax removal with hand tools usually isn’t very painful but can be irritating and takes longer, but irrigation methods can hurt a little, albeit for a short period of time. Despite this, if you had an impaction, usually you feel very relieved after the clog has been cleared.

How much does it cost to get your ears cleaned?

If you have a clogged ear canal usually you aren’t going to ask how much does an ear cleaning cost, instead you are just going to want relief from the impaired hearing and bad balance you are probably experiencing. The cost to get ears cleaned is usually between $100 and $250 at an audiologist or primary care physician. Of course, if you have insurance then it might be covered completely, or just require a co-pay, depending on your plan.

Is getting your ears cleaned covered by insurance?

It depends on your insurance, but generally yes, usually visits to your general practitioner or ear, nose and throat doctor are covered or require just a co-pay for the visit. Consult with your policy documents to be sure.

Conclusion

In the end, your ears are self-cleaning so you shouldn’t need to have them cleaned professionally very often. Sometimes, however, they can get clogged, or impacted, and require a professional cleaning. If you are curious how much does it cost to clean your ears you are not alone, but this is a medical procedure and the cost of that is typically determined by your insurance plan. If you need to clean your ears without insurance you can probably expect to pay between $100 and $250 for the procedure.

A better option may be to purchase your own ear scope camera and cleaning your ears regularly at home to prevent any potential buildup in the first place. Scope Around produces several otoscope cameras which can be used to keep your ears clean. Shop now!

 

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