Cleaning your ears

Caporegime
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Suffering with a blocked ear for days is awful :(

I guess you'll just have to do your research and take a call, there's loads of advice over Google in regards to using it for wax. I know people mix it with water to create a more dilute version so you can easily convert the 6% down to 3% or whatever.

Admittedly it's about as low level as you can get as there isn't really any pain but boy is it annoying. Due to some apparent success I delayed going to the doctors and now the local GP won't see me until May 8th. I just brought some more Otex (hydrogen peroxide) drops and the pharmacist did note these ones are labelled 5%, turns out the previous Otex ones I have don't have the 5% on the packaging so fingers crossed this may be more effective. Thanks for your help again :).
 
Soldato
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I bought my own syringe and use it ever other month. I think mine is related to how often I use my headphones etc. Olive oil thing has always been known to me, and yeah cotton buds in the ears is the worst thing you can do.
 
Soldato
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This thread reminded me to clean my ears, which i did with cotton buds like I always have done. I think in my whole life i've only ever once pushed some wax further down and made things worse. Some drops sorted it out after a couple of days
 
Caporegime
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So I tried the 5% Otex (hydrogen peroxide) drops last night, I feel this whole process would be a lot easier with a 2nd person so they can actually see what's happening/guide it :p.

It did seem to break down a few chunks (similar to the solitary success I had a week or so ago) but nothing more came out after that. The key is if I can repeat the process/success again as I couldn't with the other (possible weaker) version of Otex drops I last tried.
 
Soldato
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So I tried the 5% Otex (hydrogen peroxide) drops last night, I feel this whole process would be a lot easier with a 2nd person so they can actually see what's happening/guide it :p.

It did seem to break down a few chunks (similar to the solitary success I had a week or so ago) but nothing more came out after that. The key is if I can repeat the process/success again as I couldn't with the other (possible weaker) version of Otex drops I last tried.
Is that the stuff that crackles and pops in your ear...SOOOOOOO satisfying.
 
Associate
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I've never had any luck with my ears, and wearing any form of headphones exacerbates my wax issues (i won't wear earplugs/IEMs at all due to this). Drops and olive oil have never worked, even the peroxide fizzy ones, and have only made things worse as the wax moves during the night. Couple of weeks ago I had to look up a microsuction clinic to get the wax sucked out....there's no way I'd trust syringing given the possible complications.
 
Caporegime
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Anyone tried ear microsuction? Plenty of private places offer it and an initial glancing of the internet suggests it may be safer than syringing (which I likely couldn't get access to via the NHS for another few weeks).
 
Soldato
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21 Jan 2003
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5,594
I used to get blocked ears a lot requiring trips to the GP to get them syringed.

I discovered this device a few years back though that works equally as well and you can do it yourself safely. Obviously if you have a perforated ear drum don't use is the general advice.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000SOJXGA/
 

Pho

Pho

Soldato
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Anyone tried ear microsuction? Plenty of private places offer it and an initial glancing of the internet suggests it may be safer than syringing (which I likely couldn't get access to via the NHS for another few weeks).

I have, you get a lot less wet than from syringing that's for sure. It's been years since I had it done but I'd describe it as fairly unpleasant - the suction machine is very very loud when it's poked down your ear and prodding around inside your ear is a bit uncomfortable. It's not really painful or anything though and only takes a few minutes. Mine were very solidly blocked though which didn't help.

I got lucky as my Dad happened to know the ear, nose & throat specialist at the local hospital and he offered to sort it out for me the next day for free. Fast track NHS is great :D.
 
Permabanned
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İzmir
I tried all sorts of things and one ear or the other would sometimes become inflamed. But I finally figured out that the best way (for me) is cotton buds dipped in hot water, and of course I'm careful not to push the wax back. Gets them nicely clean and no more inflammation. In case you're wondering, dry cotton buds would make them inflamed still....dunno, my ears must be very sensitive or something.
 
Caporegime
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London
I have, you get a lot less wet than from syringing that's for sure. It's been years since I had it done but I'd describe it as fairly unpleasant - the suction machine is very very loud when it's poked down your ear and prodding around inside your ear is a bit uncomfortable. It's not really painful or anything though and only takes a few minutes. Mine were very solidly blocked though which didn't help.

I got lucky as my Dad happened to know the ear, nose & throat specialist at the local hospital and he offered to sort it out for me the next day for free. Fast track NHS is great :D.

Ta, if I go it hopefully won't be too bad though I'm a bit senetive to loud noises :p:o.

I think UCL's ENT institute is just down the road from my work and I work for the NHS :D, off to do some digging.
 
Associate
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25 May 2010
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62
Hi,
I’ve used micro suction marvellous, no prep, pics before and after. Trained audiologists 40 quid, result.

Cheers

T
 
Caporegime
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8 Nov 2008
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29,011
The last time I had my ears syringed was about 16 years ago, and I recall the nurse saying that the amount of wax that came out was among the most she'd ever seen. I couldn't believe it either, there was literally spoons of the stuff. I, too, used olive oil for about a month to soften the wax before it was 'hosed' out.

Nowadays, my surgery seems reluctant to syringe patients ears, and as I'm probably more than due again, I might start adding a little olive oil a day and see how it goes.

Don't use cotton buds or stick anything into the ear.
 
Soldato
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I usually have to have my ears syringed every couple of years due to narrow ear canals, and I'm about due one. The annoying thing for me is that as soon as I put the drops in to soften it for a few days before the process it basically makes that ear deaf, so I usually do it one at a time over a couple of weeks. This microsuction thing sounds interesting and I've just found a place near work which will do both in one go for £70, might give it a go!
 
Associate
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30 Jul 2016
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Thank you - can I ask how blocked/hard was your wax :p?
I know you're not asking me, but when my ears were microsuctioned I couldn't hear anything out of my left ear for most of the morning until late afternoon as the wax moved - i'd tried otex peroxide drops to no avail. On suction one ear had gooey wax clogging it up entirely which took an age to suck out, whilst the other which I hadn't put drops in had a large solid plug which came out in one go. £60 for both ears in a small clinic in Bexley.
 
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