Neel Raithatha, who refers to himself as the “Wax Whisperer” on YouTube, recently posted a video showing himself removing a glob of ear wax so large, it kept the patient from wearing her hearing aide.
Raithatha shared the video with The Sun. It takes the viewer up close and personal with the woman’s inner-ear, with Raithatha using a special tool to get the ear wax out. The wax was in the ear for so long, it caused a fungal infection. It made it impossible for the woman to use her hearing aid, which would “whistle and squeal” because of the wax.
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“It would be impossible to self-remove,” Raithatha said. “The client in this case wore a hearing aid which can cause earwax build up as it can prevent the natural migration of earwax out of the ear canal.”
He continued, “Regular use of ear wax drops and avoiding using cotton buds can sometimes help prevent a build-up of earwax.”
According to Raithatha, the patient had a fungal infection called otomycosis, which “developed on the dead earwax and skin and also otitis externa of the ear canal and eardrum.”
This infection usually appears in patients who live in warmer climates, swim often or have diabetes. It can cause discharge, inflammation, “scaling” in the ear canal and pain. Raithatha also said there was an “offensive odor” from the ear.
“It took around 10 minutes because I had to be very delicate when peeling the dead infected skin off the ear canal and eardrum. It usually takes half the time,” Raithatha told The Sun. “It was very rewarding in that I was able to help the client as she was very depressed that she couldn’t hear. The left her completely deafened and the client was also unable to wear her hearing aid as the earwax build-up and infection was causing it to whistle and squeal.”
Earlier this month, Raithatha shared a video with The Sun of him removing a cotton bud that had been stuck in a patient’s ear for two years. The man said he had muffled hearing.
“Fortunately, the eardrum was healthy and intact and it took around a minute to remove. It was a delicate procedure given the cotton bud was pushed right up against the eardrum,” Raithatha said. “I had to ensure I did not exert any force whilst removing as I could have easily have perforated the eardrum in doing so.”
Raithatha posted the full video of the cotton bud extraction on YouTube in July 2017.
Raithatha is a U.K. audiologist and director of The Hear Clinic in Leicestershire. His YouTube channel has over 49.6 million views and 66,000 subscribers.
Earwax, also known as cerumen, is a substance your body creates to protect and clean skin in the ear canal. Excess earwax can be dangerous and possibly cause hearing loss.
Photo credit: YouTube/ Dr. Neel Raithatha
