Ear wax

[Petrichorwheels]

Anyone got any hot tips for DIY removal?
something popped/clogged in the shower and am now near enough deaf in one ear.
should have attended to before I suppose as my hearing has been wonky for a fair old while, but I suppose I was wary of tinkering - if it aint really broke don't try to fix it.
And now turns out that the other ear is also now very suboptimal.

Am now on the verge of deafness.

Though I won't be touching that until other sorted.

linked, a bit of online research seems to suggest that it is now rather hard/possibly even impossible to get this sorted at your local GP on the NHS.
True?
If so I find this truly shocking.
Have had this very simple procedure done two or three times in my life and it transformed my hearing, for me then to never trouble the NHS for years for whatever reason.

over to you nice folks, though please no suggestions about the wonders of GT85.

 

[cougie uk]

It's your hearing. Well worth paying a visit to a specialist for them to sort out before you make it worse yourself.

Google for places or just go to Specsavers etc.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Anyone got any hot tips for DIY removal?
something popped/clogged in the shower and am now near enough deaf in one ear.
should have attended to before I suppose as my hearing has been wonky for a fair old while, but I suppose I was wary of tinkering - if it aint really broke don't try to fix it.
And now turns out that the other ear is also now very suboptimal.

Am now on the verge of deafness.

Though I won't be touching that until other

linked, a bit of online research seems to suggest that it is now rather hard/possibly even impossible to get this sorted at your local GP on the NHS.
True?
If so I find this truly shocking.
Have had this very simple procedure done two or three times in my life and it transformed my hearing, for me then to never trouble the NHS for years for whatever reason.

over to you nice folks, though please no suggestions about the wonders of GT85.

I believe hearing aid places offer earwax removal services. Worth having done professionally IMO. You could also ask at a pharmacy - they might be able to recommend someone, or an appropriate preparation to DIY safely.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

It's your hearing. Well worth paying a visit to a specialist f

aren't doctors/GPs/GP surgeries health specialists?
Have they really given up on this?
anything else?
left foot?

 

[winjim]

aren't doctors/GPs/GP surgeries health specialists?
Have they really given up on this?
anything else?
left foot?

GPs are generalists, not specialists.

Warm olive oil is your friend and was also recommended by a consultant paediatrician I know but again, not an ENT specialist. As it happens I do know an ENT specialist who has a special little kit for that sort of thing but you'd need a referral.

Anyway. Warm olive oil.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Ear wax removal is no longer available on NHS. Something else you have to pay for with the free service, that taxes the pips out of us all.

I've had big trouble myself during the lockdowns so sympathise with you.
Finally got sorted last weekend.
Found a lady who worked wonders. Standard treatment is basically a small hosepipe that just pushes the wax out.
However this can force wax deeper into the ear which was my problem.
My lady had a suction type thingy. Took her a full hour to clear both ears sucking little bits out through a fine nozzle. Astonishing about of gunge came out.

T.V. volume is now 5 notches lower!

Cost me £60.

shocking if no longer on the NHS.
Last time I had it done was at my local london GP.
it worked fine after the extra clogging from the water cleared.
Did you have to put oil in your ears for a while before your treatment?
am not putting oil in other suboptimal ear at the moment as of course that could, at least temporarily, block that as well.
Have the idea that these private folk charge same for one or two ears.
So me being me will contemplate causing total deafness in order to get both cleared on one visit.
If it's true that it is no longer a free, and damn simple, service, I repeat that I do find this profoundly shocking.
What do they want to treat?
Obscure tropical sexual diseases?
Is there a practice special points/rewards deal on them this month?
If so will try to get one.

 

[Andy in Germany]

A fellow cycle tourist suggested hydrogen peroxide solution, dripped into the ear using a syringe. I tried it once because the commercial options were not helping and my goodness but it worked. It crackles and tickles for fifteen minutes and you have to scoosh the ear out afterwards.

With or without that, a large syringe from the chemist and warm water is effective, but you have to keep squirting for a while before the crud comes out.

Ultimately though an ear doctor is the best option. Out local one has a tiny vacuum cleaner which works wonders.

 

[Broadside]

Otex from the pharmacy is good. Use it for a week and if breaks up and softens the wax then it starts coming out naturally. You can feel and hear it gently fizzing in the ear as it does it’s work.

You can get a bulb with a nozzle on the end that fills with water and allows you to gently sluice out the ear when it is soft enough, I got mine from the pharmacy.

I tend to get the same problem with going deaf like that after a lot of swimming over summer so I end up clearing my ears out with Otex most years.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

GPs are generalists, not specialists.

Warm olive oil is your friend and was also recommended by a consultant paediatrician I know but again, not an ENT specialist. As it happens I do know an ENT specialist who has a special little kit for that sort of thing but you'd need a referral.

Anyway. Warm olive oil.

Thanks for reply.
must say ear wax removal seems pretty general to me.
Hardly advanced surgery is it?
Have the idea that it's on a par medically with me hoovering my front room.
have been using cold olive oil for 10 days or so as my dropper can't be warmed.
Is warm important?
Dropper I can warm probably popping through letterbox tomorrow.

>>As it happens I do know an ENT specialist who has a special little kit for that sort of thing but you'd need a referral.

What is this mysterious kit? Gotta ask.

Referral?

To an audiology department?

My elderly mum had her wax sorted on the NHS recently, via an audiology department at a local hospital I think, but then she uses hearing aids.

I don't.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Otex from the pharmacy is good. Use it for a week and if breaks up and softens the wax then it starts coming out naturally. You can feel and hear it gently fizzing in the ear as it does it’s work.

You can get a bulb with a nozzle on the end that fills with water and allows you to gently sluice out the ear when it is soft enough, I got mine from the pharmacy.

I tend to get the same problem with going deaf like that after a lot of swimming over summer so I end up clearing my ears out with Otex most years.

Are there different sorts/formulations of Otex?
By some weird coincidence, watching the telly the other day, amidst all the death of the queen stuff, I saw an ad for earwax removal stuff from a company (Otex?) which claimed to have a vast range of eardrop solutions.
I must say it didn't inspire confidence.
I just want one that works. You know - with earwax. I have no reason to think/flatter myself that my earwax is particularly special/begs for a curated solution.

 

[Poacher]

Molish your own syringe with an empty squeezy bottle, some soft rubber tubing and warm water with a few drops of shampoo or washing up liquid.
Get the tubing from your local fishing tackle shop or find online with e.g. "silicone rubber float tubing". You can buy a pack of mixed sizes for about £3. Mine has served me well for several decades!

 

[presta]

an ear doctor is the best option. Out local one has a tiny vacuum cleaner which works wonders.

Before I had surgery to remove it, I had a growth in my ear that trapped wax a bit like water behind a dam in a valley. At that time the hospital ENT clinic used to remove it every few months with one of those miniature Hoovers.

 

[Gunk]

I’ve used this, works really well

I’ve used it in conjunction with a large syringe with warm salty water

https://tvidler-official.com/tvidle...EMRIahX59TzV-DbJ0m3vqZZZhe2Jrw88aAp3-EALw_wcB

 

[winjim]

Thanks for reply.
must say ear wax removal seems pretty general to me.
Hardly advanced surgery is it?
Have the idea that it's on a par medically with me hoovering my front room.
have been using cold olive oil for 10 days or so as my dropper can't be warmed.
Is warm important?
Dropper I can warm probably popping through letterbox tomorrow.

>>As it happens I do know an ENT specialist who has a special little kit for that sort of thing but you'd need a referral.

What is this mysterious kit? Gotta ask.

Referral?

To an audiology department?

My elderly mum had her wax sorted on the NHS recently, via an audiology department at a local hospital I think, but then she uses hearing aids.

I don't.

Ha. Yes I suppose it does depend on your idea of what constitutes a specialist. Warm oil I think simply because it will dissolve things better. Not so hot it will burn your ear of course.

My ENT friend is a consultant surgeon so I guess she sees fairly serious cases. I'm not sure of the details TBH. I don't know how bad it would need to be to get an audiology referral.

 

[midlife]

Best way is microsuction (tiny vacuum tube) with an operating microscope. I think Specsavers is £27 an ear?