Ear wax

[Petrichorwheels]

Ages back the GP's / NHS stopped carrying out this service due to potential liability issues.

Comforting!

Specsavers do 2 ears at £55 and the dedicated ear clinic I use charges £70.

But is the "liability" any more of an issue than with any other NHS procedure?
And I seem to recall that last time it was done by a nurse at my local GPs I was given a disclaimer to sign anyways.
I stress I can fully understand why the old approach of sustained blasts from a big metal horse syringe fell out of favour. I remember it really hurting as a kid. It did shift a hell of a lot of stuff (way more than my last GP visit) but am sure was pushing it - I don't recall there being much pre-softening before either.
will report back more fully in time.

 

[GuyBoden]

For years, I've been using a spray bottle, that squirts warm water into my ear and removes the wax. I always put olive oil in my ear a few times a weeks to keep the wax soft. Works very well.

There available for about £15.
Amazon product ASIN B07XFLDMK2View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZCOINS-Removal-Cleaning-Remover-Irrigation/dp/B07XFLDMK2

 

[Petrichorwheels]

For years, I've been using a spray bottle, that squirts warm water into my ear and removes the wax. I always put olive oil in my ear a few times a weeks to keep the wax soft. Works very well.

There available for about £15.
Amazon product ASIN B07XFLDMK2View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZCOINS-Removal-Cleaning-Remover-Irrigation/dp/B07XFLDMK2

thanks, even if the brush in the middle of that kit pic looks like something for going round a Ubend.

 

[GuyBoden]

thanks, even if the brush in the middle of that kit pic looks like something for going round a Ubend.

I think the big brush is for cleaning the bottle, not your ears.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

I think the big brush is for cleaning the bottle, not your ears.

giving that device more consideration, do you worry at all about damaging anything in your ear?

and the tips - I assume that you can't get spares - any concerns about introducing infection issues into your ears? Do you clean them? If so with what?


(will I promise report back more fully on how I get on when have a fuller picture)

 

[GuyBoden]

giving that device more consideration, do you worry at all about damaging anything in your ear?

and the tips - I assume that you can't get spares - any concerns about introducing infection issues into your ears? Do you clean them? If so with what?


(will I promise report back more fully on how I get on when have a fuller picture)

I'm very careful about my ears, as I've played Jazz guitar since a young teenager, so my hearing is very important to me.

I clean the bottle, sprayer, pipes etc with hand sanitizer and then rinse continuously for 10 mins spraying cold water through the pipes.

IMHO, the key to keeping your ears unblocked, is a strict regime of putting olive oil in your ears at least twice every week to keep the wax soft.

 

[postman]

Oils and sprays are all well and good,but please go to a competent person.Not someone who has just set up.In Leeds there was a clinic just for men.Treatment was a bit basic,you removed your trousers and underpants laid on a bed ,you were then given a magazine to read which excited you.Then two female consultants came back in to the room.One talked to you while the other clasping two house bricks whacked your erect member,there were side effects,but boy did the wax fly out of your ears.I asked the consultant if it always hurt,she said only if she trapped her fingers between the bricks.

 

[PK99]

+1 for Otex.
I occasionally get a blocked up ear from water getting into it whilst showering.
I warm the Otex by keeping the bottle in my hand for a few minutes before putting some into the offending ear, then lay on my side for a few minutes with bad ear uppermost, to let it "soak in".
Then a bit of cotton wool LIGHTLY inside my ear (obviously not rammed far in!) to catch the Otex as it inevitably leaks out. Repeat a couple of times a day and for me hearing will be restored in about 2 days as some wax comes out on the cotton wool.
Hope this helps.....

Forget the cotton wool - use your elbow!

 

[Ridgeway]

I’ve suffered from over productive ear wax and have to get 1 ear cleaned once a year, max 18ths month and sometimes get both done at the same time.

My learnings over 30mins has been:

Ear drops (otex for example) only work if you have a very mild blockage, if it’s more then it does more harm than good as it hardens the wax by drying it and shrinking it = it’s still stuck and now less likely to be removed.

Olive oil is the best treatment or pre-treatment I’ve found but my method is:

- pour olive oil into a 5ml plastic medicine spoon
- float it in a cup of warm water, roughly 40 degrees
- leave it to warm up for 5mins
- pour it into your ear, head needs to be flat on a table ie offending ear pointing upwards
- stay like that for 5mins
- keep swallowing as this action helps the oil pass by the wax and really helps to soften it

Often this can be enough but in case not then any mechanical removal (syringing or suction) becomes much much easier.

My doc just uses warm water and a large syringe, then a small pick tool to sometimes grab the blob. Last one was a girl he announced as it literally popped out of my ear a few months back.

Don’t leave it too long as you can easily get an infection and then everything becomes more painful and just harder to get it cleared.

Good luck and happy hearing.

The only downside to having it done is that i then no longer have the excuse of saying “I probably didn’t hear you correctly dear”😂

 

[PK99]

I’ve suffered from over productive ear wax and have to get 1 ear cleaned once a year, max 18ths month and sometimes get both done at the same time.

My learnings over 30mins has been:

Ear drops (otex for example) only work if you have a very mild blockage, if it’s more then it does more harm than good as it hardens the wax by drying it and shrinking it = it’s still stuck and now less likely to be removed.

Olive oil is the best treatment or pre-treatment I’ve found but my method is:

- pour olive oil into a 5ml plastic medicine spoon
- float it in a cup of warm water, roughly 40 degrees
- leave it to warm up for 5mins
- pour it into your ear, head needs to be flat on a table ie offending ear pointing upwards
- stay like that for 5mins
- keep swallowing as this action helps the oil pass by the wax and really helps to soften it

Often this can be enough but in case not then any mechanical removal (syringing or suction) becomes much much easier.

My doc just uses warm water and a large syringe, then a small pick tool to sometimes grab the blob. Last one was a girl he announced as it literally popped out of my ear a few months back.

Don’t leave it too long as you can easily get an infection and then everything becomes more painful and just harder to get it cleared.

Good luck and happy hearing.

The only downside to having it done is that i then no longer have the excuse of saying “I probably didn’t hear you correctly dear”😂

Olive Oil I second.

But, I recommend Earol Olive Oil spray which deposits medically approved, purified (ie clear) olive oil directly and safely into the ear canal.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I’ve suffered from over productive ear wax and have to get 1 ear cleaned once a year, max 18ths month and sometimes get both done at the same time.

My learnings over 30mins has been:

Ear drops (otex for example) only work if you have a very mild blockage, if it’s more then it does more harm than good as it hardens the wax by drying it and shrinking it = it’s still stuck and now less likely to be removed.

Olive oil is the best treatment or pre-treatment I’ve found but my method is:

- pour olive oil into a 5ml plastic medicine spoon
- float it in a cup of warm water, roughly 40 degrees
- leave it to warm up for 5mins
- pour it into your ear, head needs to be flat on a table ie offending ear pointing upwards
- stay like that for 5mins
- keep swallowing as this action helps the oil pass by the wax and really helps to soften it

Often this can be enough but in case not then any mechanical removal (syringing or suction) becomes much much easier.

My doc just uses warm water and a large syringe, then a small pick tool to sometimes grab the blob. Last one was a girl he announced as it literally popped out of my ear a few months back.

Don’t leave it too long as you can easily get an infection and then everything becomes more painful and just harder to get it cleared.

Good luck and happy hearing.

The only downside to having it done is that i then no longer have the excuse of saying “I probably didn’t hear you correctly dear”😂

The lady I use charges the same price even if it is only one ear affected which I think is a bit off - although when I asked her why she said she always checks the second ear; takes about 30 seconds tops.

 

[Chislenko]

Olive Oil I second.

But, I recommend Earol Olive Oil spray which deposits medically approved, purified (ie clear) olive oil directly and safely into the ear canal.

I second the Earol spray, that is what I use.

 

[Ridgeway]

The lady I use charges the same price even if it is only one ear affected which I think is a bit off - although when I asked her why she said she always checks the second ear; takes about 30 seconds tops.

Yes similar here, my doc always checks the other and every now and then does that one as well. It’s one consultation so the same fee unless it takes ages.

 

[PK99]

The lady I use charges the same price even if it is only one ear affected which I think is a bit off - although when I asked her why she said she always checks the second ear; takes about 30 seconds tops.

She is effectively charging "per booked session" which is reasonable, her time is not recoverable.

 

[Mike_P]

Had water in the ear in the summer so walked onto town on a pretty warm day to get some Optex; by the time I got home the water in the ear had evaporated. Optex remains unopened.