<unk> s are used to soften and break up ear wax. Using a<unk>  can reduce the need for flushing the ear with irrigants for wax removal. Additionally,<unk> s can also facilitate the manual removal of ear wax. Overall, all<unk> s are considered to be equivalent in efficacy.<unk> s are administered directly into the ear, which is a form of topical administration that can be specified as "ototopical." Generally, the use of a<unk>  involves instilling several drops of the product into the affected ear once or twice daily for a treatment duration of 3 to 5 days. Each instillation is relatively quick (less than 5 minutes) and can be done either at home or in a clinical setting. However, like all ear wax treatments, the ear wax can reaccumulate in the ear after treatment, necessitating further treatment.<unk> s are not recommended in children less than 3 years-old. Available forms and classification<unk> s are available as topical preparations intended for installation into the ear.<unk> s can be classified based upon the formulation of their constituents: water based, oil based, or neither. + Available<unk> s Classification Product/preparation Active chemical constituents Water based #Acetic acid #Cerumenex #Colace #Hydrogen peroxide #Sodium bicarbonate #Sterile saline solution #Aqueous acetic acid #Triethanolamine polypeptide oleate-condensate #Docusate sodium #Hydrogen peroxide solution #Sodium bicarbonate #Water Oil based #Almond oil #Peanut oil #Earex #Olive oil #Mineral oil/liquid petrolatum #Almond oil #Peanut oil #Peanut oil, almond oil, rectified camphor oil #Olive oil #Liquid petrolatum Neither #Audax #Debrox #Choline salicylate, glycerine #Carbamide peroxide (urea-hydrogen peroxide) A member of the U.S. Army cleans the ear of an Iraqi child.
Cerumenolytic
Keratolytic
Hematinic
Titratable acid
Cryosupernatant
Protelean
Toxicophore
Antimetabolite