Ear syringing should be carried out with a pulsed water-jet system using a narrow tube connected to an electric pump, particularly the first time your ears are syringed.

You may find that some medical practitioners still use a metal or chrome syringe, which looks like a small bicycle pump.

A nurse will use an auroscope before and after syringing to check the condition of the ear.

The metal syringe and pulsed water-jet system both use water to try to move the wax and clear the ear. The use of a metal syringe is no longer a recommended method, as it is much less controlled than using a pulsed water-jet system, and it has been known to damage people’s ears.