No, antibiotic ear drops aren’t available over the counter. These medications require a prescription from a healthcare provider. Giving the patient advice or a leaflet on the correct method to instil ear drops is valuable to ensure they have effect. The committee also noted that giving advice on measures that may help prevent the build-up of wax is often welcomed by patients. They might recommend medicines to dissolve the earwax. The earwax should fall out on its own or dissolve after about a week. NHS England. Stay Well Pharmacy campaign. 2018. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/stay-well-pharmacy-campaign (accessed November 2019)

A2013Cochrane review did not find any difference in the efficacy or side effects between water-based and oil-based ear drops [11] Davis AC. The prevalence of hearing impairment and reported hearing disability among adults in Great Britain. Int J Epidemiol 1989;18(4):911–917. doi: 10.1093/ije/18.4.911 Adverse events were generally not well reported but there was mostly a small or no clinically important difference between the different ear wax softeners used and when comparing removal by syringing in a clinic to home kits. Swimmer’s ear is an infection of your outer ear. Bacteria usually cause it, but fungi (more than one fungus) can cause it as well. People with swimmer’s ear may also develop pain, itching and swelling. The outcomes identified as critical outcomes for this review were health-related and hearing-related quality of life, any outcomes related to wax removal, for example ability or ease of removal, and adverse events such as perforations or infections.Although less commonly known, ear candling may still be requested by some patients. This should never be used in the management of ear wax removal and may result in serious injury [9] Ear problems are common and patients often seek advice about managing their symptoms from community pharmacies. In 1998, a cross-sectional self-completed questionnaire was sent to 12,100 UK households.Hearing problems, dizziness and tinnitus are common problems for people living in the UK. Data from the survey show that almost 20% of the 15,788 respondents in Scotland had experienced one of these symptoms; this suggests that there is a large number of people in the UK living with ear problems who may benefit from the advice of a pharmacist [1] Antifungal or antibiotic ear drops can treat the infection. Topical steroid ear drops can help relieve inflammation and itching. Contraindications for ear irrigation would include cases where wax impaction accompanies the following conditions: A review of the person’s medication may be useful since their GP may wish to stop any medicines known to cause tinnitus. Although it is usually only reported in fewer than 1 in 1,000 people taking a medicine and may be dose-dependent (e.g. patients taking high-dose aspirin, quinine and loop diuretics [furosemide, bumetanide and ethacrynic acid]) [14]

If you have itchy ears without an infection, then corticosteroid ear drops can help ease your symptoms. If you have an infection, you’ll also need antifungal or antibiotic ear drops. Some ear drops contain both anti-infective medications and corticosteroids. Don’t try to scrape out the earwax with your finger or an object inserted into your ear, as this this can make the problem worse. A common ear problem that patients of all ages may present with is hearing loss or deafness. Young children commonly present with fluctuating hearing loss, known as ‘glue ear’, which is caused when the middle ear — normally air-filled — becomes filled with fluid. This fluid tends to look like glue, hence the name. You have had your ear syinged in the last 2 to 3 days, or tried to remove ear wax with your fingernails, cotton buds or other implements, as this could make it painful to use the ear drops In addition to the low quality evidence that earwax removal could be cost effective, the committee also noted that current practice is to remove wax, and did not consider any treatment to be an option for consideration as this would not be acceptable to patients.Adults may also experience glue ear. This usually occurs after a cold and, although rare, it can be the presentation of a mass in the post-nasal space. As glue ear is less common in adult patients, they should be referred to their GP who can then refer them to the ENT specialist. The committee discussed the use of microsuction for earwax removal in a number of different environments including GP practices, audiology and community health services. It was noted that the availability of this service is variable, and in some areas people would be referred to ENT for this procedure. The committee agreed that as long as the correct equipment was available and there were health professionals trained to carry out this procedure, it would be appropriate to offer this service within primary or community care settings, and this should be encouraged. The committee noted that dedicated ear care clinic facilities are being set up in some areas. The best ear wax removal treatments you can buy in 2023 1. Otex Express Combi: Best ear drops for removing hardened ear wax One UK health economic evaluation was identified, which was carried out as part of an NIHR health technology assessment. This compared 3 options: no treatment; treatment using softeners for a week and self-irrigating (using a bulb irrigator) if the wax does not clear; using softeners for a week and returning to a GP if the wax does not clear. The study described its results as “exploratory and should not be used as a basis for changing policy and practice”. No clinically important differences were observed when ear drops were compared with each other prior to delayed irrigation.