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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Mrs Linor Jones
+44 (0)3000843864
Linor.Ll.Jones@wales.nhs.uk


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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - Pre-treatment drops or spray for managing earwax
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Pre-treatment drops or spray for managing earwax

Not Recruiting

Open to: All Genders

Age: Adult

Bangor

Medical Conditions

Pre-treatment of wax in patients accessing a wax removal service

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Earwax is a naturally occurring substance that forms part of the ear's self-cleaning mechanism. Normally it causes no problems however earwax can build up in the ear canal and become dry and impacted. This build-up could be due to overproduction of earwax, use of cotton buds or reduced self-cleaning mechanism due to age. Excessive earwax causes problematic symptoms such as hearing loss, pain and dizziness and can have a significant negative impact on quality of life. It is thought to affect 2.3 million people per year in the UK.
Earwax that is causing symptoms should be removed as recommended in healthcare guidelines. Earwax can be removed mechanically but research has shown that wax should be softened first to ease its removal and reduce the chances of discomfort. This is done by the use of wax softeners. Many different wax softeners are available but the most commonly used is olive oil.
The Audiology service at BCUHB offers a wax removal service ran by Audiology practitioners for patients in North Wales in Primary Care locations. Patients can self-refer or be referred by a GP or other healthcare professional for wax removal. Currently patients are advised to use either olive oil drops or olive oil spray for 7 days prior to their wax removal appointment.
Many previous research studies have previously compared the use of different wax softeners but none have compared different delivery methods (drops or spray). We aim to do this by randomly allocating GP practices that offer the wax removal pathway to either using olive oil spray or olive oil drops prior to their wax removal appointment and comparing the outcomes between the two groups. The outcomes we will investigate are the success of wax removal by microsuction, rate of adverse events and improvement in self-reported symptoms following wax removal.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

01 Nov 2024 01 Jun 2025

Each GP practice delivering the BCUHB Audiology Primary Care wax removal service will be randomly assigned to instruct their patients to use either olive oil drops or olive oil spray for 7 days before attending their wax removal appointment. As per current service delivery patients will be responsible for purchasing/sourcing and administrating the olive oil solution themselves.
Patients will then attend their wax removal appointment with the Audiology Practitioner. At the appointment patients will be asked about the symptoms they are experiencing in relation to the wax in their ears. The Audiology Practitioner will then attempt to remove the earwax with microsuction. Following microsuction the Audiology Practitioner will ask the patient to:
1. Rate the improvement in the symptoms they reported at the start of the appointment
2. Record the amount of wax remaining in the patient's ear/s
3. Arrange another appointment for wax removal if it hasn't been fully successful.
The study will be looking at comparing the above outcomes between the two groups (olive oil drops and olive oil spray) to see whether there are any differences.
All data recorded as part of the study is currently being recorded as part of service evaluation and no patient identifiable information will be collected.


Adult patients aged 18 years old or over attending the BCUHB Audiology Primary Care wax removal service delivered in GP Practices across North Wales.

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


1. Under 18 years of age2. Active ear infection3. Active dermatitis4. Perforated or non-intact tympanic membrane5. Foreign body present in ear canal6. Any contraindication for microsuction or use of wax softeners – previous ear surgery including mastoid obliteration; grommets in situ


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • Betsi Cadwaladr University Lhb
    Executive Offices, Ysbyty Gwynedd Penrhosgarnedd
    Bangor
    LL57 2PW

Taking part in the study may not directly benefit the patient but the research will hopefully help us understand whether the method of delivering olive oil to the ear has any difference on the outcome of wax removal. There are no known associated risks to the patient and also participating in the study does not affect the patient's normal clinical care in any way.

Mrs Linor Jones
+44 (0)3000843864
Linor.Ll.Jones@wales.nhs.uk



The study is sponsored by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and funded by Investigator initiated and funded .



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Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN28211073
Last updated 24 June 2025

This page is to help you find out about a research study and if you may be able to take part

You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.   

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