Wax in friggin ear!

[Von Richter]

My right ear has been plugged for about a week and a half... and I need to deal with some stereo material ASAP. I've had wax plug my ears on and off for most of my life.

Any good ideas for home removal that isn't dangerous? I don't have time to head up to the clinic again.

[jeffn1]

I have used over-the-counter ear wax removal. It consists of drops that sit in the ear for 15 minutes and an ear irrigator to shoot warm water in the ear to (hopefully) clean it out after the wax has been softened.

It has worked sometimes in my case.

Also, my doctor says some of the best stuff to use for clogged ears is flonase/varmyst type stuff.

Good luck.

jeffn1

[EricWatkins]

I've had the same problem on and off for a long time. I'll notice that my high-end seems rolled off and then I go to my doctor and get them cleaned. He's pulled out a clump as big as a cigarette butt before. I dont know why my ears accumulate like that but they do. Maybe go in and have them checked.

[Von Richter]

Eric, I've had similar clumps come out at the doctor before.

Thing is, I am dry on cash right now. I need a ghetto solution.

[Andrew Aversa]

The over-the-counter 'drop' solution is probably your best bet. Stay away from q-tips... I've been using them lately, and while they can work, they're abrasive to the inner ear. Just had a doctor's appointment where they said my inner ear didn't look so good and 'Do you use q-tips?' was the first question he asked.

[davecos]

You ought to check whether you have any allergies. I suffer from plugged ear syndrome myself and wax build-up but my last check-up revealed that I had fluid in the inner ear as a result of allergies. As one other person noted, FLonase will eleviate this. It doesn't work overnight though. Takes a week or so.

[mech289]

The over-the-counter 'drop' solution is probably your best bet. Stay away from q-tips... I've been using them lately, and while they can work, they're abrasive to the inner ear. Just had a doctor's appointment where they said my inner ear didn't look so good and 'Do you use q-tips?' was the first question he asked. I agree with Andrew on the q-tips. I purchased some drops from walgreens, real cheap. Worked well for me.Let it set there for a few, and used the washer it came with. Since then no problem. Joseph

[mech289]

The over-the-counter 'drop' solution is probably your best bet. Stay away from q-tips... I've been using them lately, and while they can work, they're abra,sive to the inner ear. Just had a doctor's appointment where they said my inner ear didn't look so good and 'Do you use q-tips?' was the first question he asked. I agree with Andrew on the q-tips. I purchased some drops from walgreens, real cheap. Worked well for me.Let it set there for a few, and used the washer it came with. Since then no problem. Joseph

[Von Richter]

I would never reccomend anyone stick q-tips or anything else (including fingers) in their ears. It's a great way to damage the delicate thin skin and get infections.

[Cheez]

Best way is to get your family doctor wash it out for you. It's not that expensive and the procedure is quick and simple.

At home - you can use olive oil. Pour it into your ear canal - flood it. Let it stay there for a few minutes. Do that for a few days to soften the wax. Then you can either pick it out, or best way is to wash it out (and preferably done by a doctor as it requires the use of a syringe and pointing it in a certain direction - towards the back of the head).

Careful about ear-drops. It may be helpful sometimes. Other times, it makes it worse. There are cases when the drops "melts" the wax, changes the wax shape, then the wax hardens again in the shape that fits your ear canal nicely - which makes the blockage worse.

[Gamera]

Go to the doctor. It's not a big deal. I had the same problem last year and there's no way I could have cleaned all that out myself. Don't mess with your ears! Let a pro deal with them.

- G

[Will Roget]

Hey man,

I kinda have to agree with Gamera on this one.. just tough it out for the gig and go to the doc later. Or go sooner than later, I mean, I had that same procedure and it seriously took about an hour of my life, including the patient waiting time. Fastest and most efficacious procedure I've ever had for anything actually; I was practically deaf in one ear before, but afterwards I was immediately hearing high pitched frequencies I'd never heard in my life. Clicking and typing was like orgasmic or something. :p

But, srsly, you have your whole life/career ahead of you... no use risking any dangerous quick fixes.

[Gesticulator01]

VR - try some hopi (hoppy?)candles. They look a bit hocus-pocus but they work extremely well, and they're safe. Makes you ears feel the same way your mouth does after a good brush. You can pull them apart when youre done and check out how much wax youve extracted. Gross!

[SimonF]

I would not recommend getting your doctor to wash them out as this is know to needing it to be done again and again.

There is something that I don't understand why, but if you have it done once it can mean needing it done that way regularly.

Go to your local chinese health shop usually a shop that offers Acupuncture should do them.

You lay on your side and get someone to hold the candle at the ear opening and light it, the burning action draws the wax out painlessly.

I have done this for my girlfriend a couple of times

Simon

[belbin]

+1 for Gamera and Will.

Olive oil has worked for me, but let a pro do the syringe thing.

Belbin

[Leaf]

The permenent cure for this problem is drink a lot of water. It may sound strange but the French doctor who wrote a book in the 1800s, who thought that water cured everything was not too far off, and now modern science mostly agrees.

You are 90 something percent water, and the fix for most things internal and external is consuming more water internally.

Drinking clean bottled water is addictive and it is the best addition to acquire.

I had an ear infection that would not go away and after i returned to the doctor a third time requesting more antibiotics, Doc said it would be dangerous to consume more antibiotics and i just needed to drink a ton of water.

It cured it... and everything else, headaches, backaches, alergies, bad-hair...

[Garritan]

You're not alone with this waxing problem. For this Halloween one can always try what the Australian Opposition Leader recently did: :D:p:D

AUSTRALIAN OPPOSITION LEADER APOLOGIZES FOR EATING EAR WAX...:eek: (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SKEM8G4&show_article=1)

Seriously, excess ear wax can cause hearing loss. Probably best to consult with a medical specialist (maybe a free clinic in your area) if home redemies do not cure it. Hope it's nothing serious.

Also check with a pharmacist who may have a remedy.

GG

[SimonF]

You're not alone with this waxing problem. For this Halloween one can always try what the Australian Opposition Leader recently did: :D:p:D

AUSTRALIAN OPPOSITION LEADER APOLOGIZES FOR EATING EAR WAX... (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SKEM8G4&show_article=1)

Seriously, excess ear wax can cause hearing loss. Probably best to consult with a medical specialist (maybe a free clinic in your area) if home redemies do not cure it. Hope it's nothing serious.

GG


Thats a tasty snack! :wow:

[Von Richter]

Hmm maybe my post to that effect didn't show up, but I've had them cleaned by "pros" before. All they did was dilute some peroxide in water and squirt it out with a syringe... really friggin hard. Worked fine.

Anyway, aside from no longer trusting the community clinic in the slightest (for various reasons), the last year of total isolation has resulted in my social phobia deepening and I can hardly leave the house anymoe without terrible anxiety.

I used olive oil to soften it up, and an empty totally rinsed bottle to squirt it out, and a ton of wax came out, but apparently I must have another hard deep plug. I'll try again tomorrow and see if that gets the rest of it.

[composer24]

VR,

Do you use isolation headphones for extended periods?

I used to have a problem with wax buildup but have since remedied it by limiting my headphone use. (although I realize this is not easy if you live in an apartment or roommate situation).

As far as wax removal goes, I've also found the olive oil/gentle rinse to be successful. However, if the wax is really deep and/or hardened (sounds like it might be after reading your last post) it will be difficult to remove by yourself.

I think it's a good idea as a musician/audio engineer to have your ears tested and cleaned by a licensed audiologist or general practice doctor once a year. Can't be too careful when it comes to your ears. These weapons are your life!!

Ryan

[Von Richter]

Ryan, I don't use headphones at all, not even for recording vocals etc.

My left ear is trashed from an infection when I was around 13. Anything loud or high pressure makes it sizzle buzz and rupture painfully. Headphones seem to worse because they are right next to the ear.

I like to have space between me the sound sources...

The real downer is that the trumpet and piccolos at orchestral concerts hurt my left ear like crazy.

Dont get me started on being stuck in the back seat of cars where people have their fader set all the way back and wont let you adjust it... ugh

[jrjnsn]

...and don't do ear candling....!

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html

good luck VR.

[vic_france]

Ear candling...
About ten years ago, I was playing in a show, and found myself with the worst case of wax-blocked ears I've ever had.. both ears, same result as if I had my index fingers stuck firmly in my ears.. in other words, impossible to play music on stage, and I had started using the olive oil/srynge method, but I think it would have taken about a week to have any effect.
One of the dancers suggested this ear candling thing.. which I had never heard of, and I was even convinced she was pulling a prank on me!
Cut to the quick... my hearing was back to normal for the performance that same evening.

Btw, as regards that "quackery" article.. I have just two comments...
1) Using it to cure all the ills of the world is indeed pure quackery.
2) Using it when you "haven't" got wax in your ears is indeed asking for trouble.

[SimonF]

Having done candling on someone I agree that the above link is complete rubbish.

It is less invasive than other methods and is quick acting.

Simon

[JonFairhurst]

Many swimmers have problems with ear wax; however...

I find that when I swim regularly (about 5 hours per week), my ears are fairly wax free. I get minor buildup when I'm not able to swim. Fortunately, my ears drain well. I think it's the swimmers with ears that drain poorly that have the problems.

[vic_france]

Do you swim in olive oil, Jon? :D

[Gesticulator01]

That denouncement of ear candles made me laugh. Who would have thought someone in the traditional medical profession would come out against a simple procedure you can do cheaply at home, preventing the need to visit your local doctor?

Like Simon and Vic said also - they work and they're perfectly ok to use in my experience. Just trying to help.

[JonFairhurst]

Do you swim in olive oil, Jon? :DNo, but the local pool uses chlorine as well as some sort of a light salt as a buffer to keep the pH stable. I wonder if that helps dissolve the wax.

[jtolbert]

I had this happen to me a few weeks ago. Totally irritating! I used those over the counter drops (Debrox or something), alternated with hydrogen peroxide, water and vinegar (1/1/1 ratio). Supposedly the peroxide can leave behind stuff that can cause an ear infection, hence the vinegar.... It cleared the plug after a day or so.

But then I was at the doctor a few days ago and asked them if they'd take a look and thee was still a ton of stuff in there so they flushed both my ears out. It was freaky when they were all done--I had a bunch of high end back that I'd been missing. I'm only now getting used to it.

I'd say the doctor route is by far the best way to go. Good luck!

-Jeff

[Rogles]

That denouncement of ear candles made me laugh. Who would have thought someone in the traditional medical profession would come out against a simple procedure you can do cheaply at home, preventing the need to visit your local doctor?

Like Simon and Vic said also - they work and they're perfectly ok to use in my experience. Just trying to help.

:confused: I've heard it debunked plenty of times. Researchers have done tests and the results came back that it doesn't remove any wax. The wax that shows up in the candle is actually residue from the candle and will appear even when the candle is lit by itself out in the open. Then again, I've heard stories of people contesting that it really does work. A big medical research conspiracy? Who knows. It does seem to change the pressure in the ear so that might be enough to open a hole in the wax so it's not completely blocking allowing one to hear better. I don't know about actually sucking up wax though.

[Gesticulator01]

:confused: . I don't know about actually sucking up wax though.
Ok Rogles. You dont know. I DO, because I have used them, and havent relied on second-hand test results which you dont reference, conducted by "Who knows", using god only knows what methodology.

If you have actually seen a real ear candle - you would know that its not possible that wax is residue from the candle - you are imagining a different sort of candle.

[Rogles]

Ok Rogles. You dont know. I DO, because I have used them, and havent relied on second-hand test results which you dont reference, conducted by "Who knows", using god only knows what methodology.

If you have actually seen a real ear candle - you would know that its not possible that wax is residue from the candle - you are imagining a different sort of candle.


I know they are not like a regular candle. They are hollow and aren't made of a hunk of wax like regular candles (though they do have wax on them). If we aren't talking about the same candle let me know.

Anyway, since you called me on references, here are a few:

http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1501

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8849790&dopt=AbstractPlus (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8849790&dopt=AbstractPlus)

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/med/ear-oreille_e.html

http://altmed.creighton.edu/ear/experiment.htm (http://altmed.creighton.edu/ear/experiment.htm)

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,47112,00.html (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,47112,00.html)


In any case there is quite a bit of opposition to the ear candling idea. I'm sure there are plenty of holistic healing sites that will stand by it though. Personally I find the idea that doctors are opposed to ear candles because it takes business away from them a bit out there, but that's just me.

If in your experience it works fine, then good for you. That's great. Just understand some of us have heard all kinds of claims on internet forums that people would swear to - from killer pop rocks to ghosts to psychics to shooting a chi blast. It's just difficult to take all claims at face value, unfortunately.

[imusic]

Man, go and see a doctor

DO NOT TRY To GET IT OUT BY YOURSELF, YOU CAN DEMANGE A LOT !!!!!

(btw, you can not get that repaired again !!!!!!!!!!!)

best regards, imusic

[Gesticulator01]

If in your experience it works fine, then good for you. That's great. Just understand some of us have heard all kinds of claims on internet forums that people would swear to - from killer pop rocks to ghosts to psychics to shooting a chi blast. It's just difficult to take all claims at face value, unfortunately.

Understood.
:|:

[nikolas]

So VR?

Any news on the ear department? Did it get fixed? did you go to a doctor? TBH, I use cotton buds (same as q-tips?) and never had any problem. I'm a mazochist but anyhow (and not recomending them to anyone).

But let us know, will you?

[David_Carter]

everytime a have a bath I get the ear well wet and then use toliet paper which I twist a corner into a screw and then screw it in the ear (making sure the thread of the screw is pulling the wax out) and hey presto. Hunks of the yucky stuff.

works for me.

[Yves]

try this..

put some mineral oil in your ear ..then use a foam plug to let the oil in there and do it before going to sleep. The oil will dissolve the wax the next morning..you'll be able to wash it off with an ear pump and some warm water

Yves