Question 1

What is the age requirement for earwax removal services at Cerum?

Accepted Answer

At Cerum, our earwax removal service using microsuction is currently available exclusively for adults aged 18 years and over. This policy ensures that we provide the highest standard of care tailored to the specific needs of adult patients. If you have any further questions or need to schedule an appointment, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Question 2

What should I do prior to my confirmed appointment?

Accepted Answer

Softening the wax with olive oil (Earol)

It may take more than one attempt to remove your wax. It’s important that the wax has been softened to make the procedure as comfortable and effective as possible – so to prepare for your appointment, we’d recommend using olive oil to soften it.

A spray known as Earol is ideal for this. Read the instructions leaflet carefully and use for 7-10 days between 2-4 times daily before your appointment. Other sprays or drops are not always suitable and may prevent us from being able to carry out the removal.

Your ears might feel more blocked up after using olive oil and might reduce your hearing – this is because the wax will soak up the oil.

If you wear hearing aids, avoid wearing them after you put olive oil in your ears as you could damage your hearing aids (which wouldn’t be covered by your warranty).

If you experience a foul taste after using olive oil, stop using it as this might be a sign that there is a hole in your eardrum. If this happens, get in touch with your GP and let us know.

For some people, olive oil use might cause some mild discomfort or irritation. If you have any doubts or concerns, just give us a call or speak to your GP or pharmacist.

Question 3

What happens if you can't remove all the wax in one go?

Accepted Answer

There are times when the wax is too hard or stuck to the walls of the ear canal and it might be too painful or dangerous to remove this in one appointment. In this case, our ear health practitioner will arrange for you to come back for a second attempt, at no extra charge. To qualify, this appointment must be booked within two weeks of the original appointment date.

To reduce the chances of this happening, you can soften the wax with olive oil for 5days before your appointment.

Softening the wax with olive oil (Earol)
A spray known as Earol is ideal for this. Read the instructions leaflet carefully and use for 7-10 days between 2-4 times daily before your appointment. Other sprays or drops are not always suitable and may prevent us from being able to carry out the removal.

Your ears might feel more blocked up after using olive oil and might reduce your hearing – this is because the wax will soak up the oil.

If you wear hearing aids, avoid wearing them after you put olive oil in your ears as you could damage your hearing aids (which wouldn’t be covered by your warranty).

If you experience a foul taste after using olive oil, stop using it as this might be a sign that there is a hole in your eardrum. If this happens, get in touch with your GP and let us know.

For some people, olive oil use might cause some mild discomfort or irritation. If you have any doubts or concerns, just give us a call or speak to your GP or pharmacist.

Question 4

What will happen if no ear wax is found at the time of my appointment?

Accepted Answer

We always start with a full examination of the inner ear using a video otoscopy (magnifier) device. If we find wax likely to be causing your symptoms we'll take it out. However, there are times we don't find any ear wax or too little wax to need removal. We can still examine the ears and take images/videos and provide a report, if necessary, for you to seek help from your medical team.  You will only be charged a £25 consultation fee.

This means if you've pre-paid £65 for a wax removal appointment, we will refund you £40 if no wax is found. You should see this refund in your account in a few days. Please email us if you have any queries.

Question 5

What do I do if I have booked an appointment but have COVID-19 symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Please do not come to clinic if you, or anyone in your household:
 • Have confirmed COVID-19
 • Are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
 • Are required to isolate after travelling
 • Have been contacted from NHS Test and Trace
During your appointment, you might be required to wear a mask to reduce any risk of transmission.

If you've booked an appointment and have subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 please email us on info@cerum.uk.

Question 6

Why should I use microsuction to remove Earwax?

Accepted Answer

Microsuction is the gold standard method of ear wax removal and is considered safer than other methods such as irrigation/syringing.

Question 7

Are there any risks/complications of ear wax microsuction?

Accepted Answer

With anything there are always risks. With this in mind, it's worth noting microsuction is still the safest method of manual ear wax removal compared to irrigation/syringing.

Your ear health practitioner will take you through all the risks associated with the procedure on the day but here are a few you can learn about to make an informed choice:

1. Noisy - the machine can get quite noisy, but you must stay still during the procedure to avoid causing injury to yourself. So, if it gets too much or you want us to stop, just raise your hand/shout without moving your head and we’ll stop.
2. Personal space - the procedure will involve us coming up really close in your personal space. If you feel uncomfortable at all, let us know and we’ll stop.
3. Nick to the skin - there might be a rare instance when the wax is so stuck to the skin, the skin comes off as the wax is hoovered out. This can cause minor bleeding which often settles with pressure alone and doesn't often require hospital treatment. This is why we will always ask whether you take blood thinning medications prior to procedure.
4. Wax is too hard - Sometimes, if the wax is too hard and hasn't been softened enough it may be too uncomfortable to remove in one appointment. To reduce the chances of this happening we suggest you soften the wax with a few drops of olive oil into the affected ears x3/day for at least 5 days.

NOTE
Active ear infection - We cannot perform micro-suction if you have or had an active ear infection in the last 90days. If we unexpectedly find anything abnormal other than wax in your ear, we may take images and a video and send you a report to consider passing on to your GP
team.

Question 8

How often should I get my ears microsuctioned?

Accepted Answer

Whilst it is common for certain people to attend routine health check-ups such as eye and teeth procedures on a regular basis, our ears are often left forgotten. This should not be the case. Hearing loss has huge social implications on our quality of life.

Hearing loss, if left untreated, can lead to increased risk of falls, social isolation, and is also known to be the single largest modifiable risk factor for the prevention of dementia. Not only that we are often unaware of what we cannot hear, that’s why regular ear and hearing health check-ups are essential.

We suggest those with hearings aids or regular users of in-ear headphones have a check-up every 3-4 months. For those with less risk of wax you could go 6months to a year until your next review.

Question 9

How do I know if I have a problem with my ears or earwax?

Accepted Answer

There are a range of signs to watch out for which could indicate you have an ear or hearing problem, such as...

Loss of hearing, earache, discomfort, discharge, ears feeling full, ringing, itching, loss of balance, dizziness, coughing, turning up the volume, moving closer to those talking. asking people to repeat themselves, concentrating harder than normal to listen.

These can be signs that a change has occurred in your ears and you should get them checked.

Question 10

What type of hearing test do you perform?

Accepted Answer

Once wax has been removed, an optional hearing screening test can be performed (if you've booked one).

For the test, you'll wear special headphones that play noises, and you'll need to tap a device when you hear a sound. This helps determine if you might have some hearing loss.

Since this is not a diagnostic test, if hearing loss is detected, your practitioner may refer you to an audiologist for further examination.

Question 11

How can I reshedule or cancel my appointment?

Accepted Answer

We understand life can be busy and so you will be able to reshedule or cancel your appointment yourself, without charge, up to 24hrs before your appointment time.
To do this, simply open the email confirmation we sent when you booked the appointment and click the reschdule link at the bottom. If you choose to cancel, you will also recieve an additional email when you have been refunded the full amount, this can take upto 24hrs.

For any cancellation or reshedule within 24hrs of your appointment time you will not be refunded.  Please email us on info@cerum.uk (info@cerum.uk)should you have any queries related to this.

Question 12

Where do I park for the Windsor clinic?

Accepted Answer

There are a number of car park's near our Windsor clinic which is located inside the Arch Clinic

1. NCP Windsor Alma Road (shortest walk) - The Arches Alma Road SL4 1QZ Google Map Link
(https://maps.app.goo.gl/v43KhSEsoxbfuJJD7)The most convenient parking option is a short walk away from the Windsor clinic. It is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Payments are cashless and can be made via the NCP App. Please note that NCP customers are requested to park in the yellow bays only, specifically numbered 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. 
Once you've parked, follow the same road down, exit using the walkway (black arrow shown in the image below), cross the road, walk under the bridge and turn left to find The Arch Clinic - we're located inside.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4d7031_4ed3f5d555774aa3bb8d79ab4add1a77~mv2.png

Other car parks:

2. Alma Rd Car Park, Windsor SL4 3HY - https://goo.gl/maps/KCVbnfquuNSnjHAL9(https://goo.gl/maps/KCVbnfquuNSnjHAL9)
3. Windsor Yards Car Park, 10-14 Charles Street, SL4 1EF https://goo.gl/maps/ZKv6xeYWDcDD3skX8 (https://goo.gl/maps/ZKv6xeYWDcDD3skX8)
4. Barry Avenue Car Park (along the river)- https://goo.gl/maps/e7TakDpw1g6VKeFP9 (https://goo.gl/maps/e7TakDpw1g6VKeFP9)

Question 13

What type of healthcare professional will be treating me?

Accepted Answer

Our ear health practitioners undergo rigorous training to ensure they are safe and effective in what they do. They are fully trained and insured to perform ear examinations using video otoscopy and ear wax removal using microsuction.

Theyare trained by experts in Audiology and ENT. Our practitioners often have a background in healthcare but are not Doctors or Nurses so cannot diagnose or prescribe for other ear relation conditions such as infections. For that, you will need to contact your GP. However, if our practitioners do find something abnormal (other than wax) we could email you a report with images & video of your inner ears to pass on to your GP. This could help them get a better understanding of what's going on.

Question 14

I can't book an appointment online, is there another way I can book and pay?

Accepted Answer

We apologise in advance if you're having trouble.

Please send us your name, date of birth, contact number and the time you'd like to attend to info@cerum.uk or via our online web chat.

We will do our best to get back in touch within 24hrs (often sooner).

Question 15

I would like to make a complaint, how can I do this?

Accepted Answer

We're sorry to hear this but we strongly believe that every complaint is an opportunity for us to better understand the needs of our users and improve the quality of our services.
If you'd like to make a complaint, you can do so by email: info@cerum.uk (mailto:sh24.complaints@nhs.net)

Question 16

Do you accept walk-ins for microsuctioning?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we do accept walk-ins for microsuctioning, but only at our clinic at the Thames Valley Athletics Center (Eton), and only if there are available clinic slots at the time. You can check our availability online or give us a call to discuss.

Booking online allows you to see all upcoming appointments, including same-day or next-day options. After booking and paying online, you'll receive a confirmation email with your appointment details.

Please remember to soften the earwax with olive oil drops or spray for 2- 5 days before your appointment. If the wax is too hard or stuck, we may not be able to remove it all in one appointment.

Question 17

Can I request your services for a home visit or in another town/ city not listed on your website?

Accepted Answer

We're continually looking to expand our reach as we feel everyone should be able to access safe, reliable, ear health local to them.

We're currently servicing local nursing homes at a subsidised rate - we feel we have a duty to care for those that are sometimes the most vulnerable in our society.

If you have a particular request, we'd be really interested in hearing it. You can use our web messaging and we'll get back to you as soon as we can 😊

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