Ear drops for the removal of ear wax

A review of the literature to explore whether cerumenolytics are effective in the removal of ear wax. The findings suggest that There is a lack of evidence to support the choice of one particular cerumenolytic compared with another or a water/saline placebo. Saline or water would appear to be as effective as any of the cerumenolytics included in the studies and in addition both are readily available and cheap, thus providing a cost effective alternative to proprietary agents. However, the results suggest that active treatment, including the instillation of cerumenolytics, water or saline, before syringing enhances the efficacy of syringing in removing earwax.