ear, nose, and throat disorders
How To Remove Cerumen Manually and With Irrigation
Relevant Anatomy for Cerumen Removal
The tympanic membrane is 1 to 1.5 cm deep in the canal in children and 1.5 to 2 cm deep in most adults. Avoid instrumenting the ear more than 8 mm deep to prevent damage to the membrane. The cerumen-producing glands are in the lateral external ear canal only and are present only in the hair-bearing skin. Cerumen deeper in the ear has typically been pushed there by the patient's use of a cotton swab or ear bud. 