Typical!😡

[ChrisEdu]

Saw an audiologist a few weeks ago, due to my chronic tinnitus. Her instant reaction was that my ears were well and truly blocked with wax and to get them cleaned out.

So, after days of pouring olive oil in to them, today was the day to get Dyno-Rod in there.

Turns out, even my ears are frickin awkward. Not only do I have very narrow ear canals, but it turns out they're also longer than normal, making it hard to ear see my ear drums.

After multiple attempts to jetwash the crud out, the nurse admitted defeat and has now booked me in to have a Dyson shoved in me lug 'oles!

In the meantime, I'm now practically deaf in one ear (which I wasn't before today's appointment) and can just about hear out of the other!)

To compensate, I've decided that I really ought to purchase some nice cordless headphones, so I don't have to ear ear buds in and risk making things bad again. (That's my excuse anyway!)

 

[MissyD]

Oh that's frustrating Chris, but hopefully they can sort it for you and good idea to treat yourself to some new headphones

 

[Gollom]

Saw an audiologist a few weeks ago, due to my chronic tinnitus. Her instant reaction was that my ears were well and truly blocked with wax and to get them cleaned out.

So, after days of pouring olive oil in to them, today was the day to get Dyno-Rod in there.

Turns out, even my ears are frickin awkward. Not only do I have very narrow ear canals, but it turns out they're also longer than normal, making it hard to ear see my ear drums.

After multiple attempts to jetwash the crud out, the nurse admitted defeat and has now booked me in to have a Dyson shoved in me lug 'oles!

In the meantime, I'm now practically deaf in one ear (which I wasn't before today's appointment) and can just about hear out of the other!)

To compensate, I've decided that I really ought to purchase some nice cordless headphones, so I don't have to ear ear buds in and risk making things bad again. (That's my excuse anyway!)

Pardon?



In all seriousness, I feel ya! I too have excess wax and narrow (and very hairy!) ear canals. Fitted with hearing aids a few months ago but they irritate my ears like mad and stimulate the production of wax even more, So much so that I am waiting to have holes drilled in my skull (!!) so I can have BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aids) fitted. In the meantime, I have a four weekly appointment schedule to get the excess wax sucked out. LOL

 

[Skd884]

Saw an audiologist a few weeks ago, due to my chronic tinnitus. Her instant reaction was that my ears were well and truly blocked with wax and to get them cleaned out.

So, after days of pouring olive oil in to them, today was the day to get Dyno-Rod in there.

Turns out, even my ears are frickin awkward. Not only do I have very narrow ear canals, but it turns out they're also longer than normal, making it hard to ear see my ear drums.

After multiple attempts to jetwash the crud out, the nurse admitted defeat and has now booked me in to have a Dyson shoved in me lug 'oles!

In the meantime, I'm now practically deaf in one ear (which I wasn't before today's appointment) and can just about hear out of the other!)

To compensate, I've decided that I really ought to purchase some nice cordless headphones, so I don't have to ear ear buds in and risk making things bad again. (That's my excuse anyway!)

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[ChrisHGTV]

Would some bone conduction headphones work for you? I’ve got some Aftershokz ones and they’re pretty good. Not audiophile quality but not bad.

 

[MissyD]

Pardon?



In all seriousness, I feel ya! I too have excess wax and narrow (and very hairy!) ear canals. Fitted with hearing aids a few months ago but they irritate my ears like mad and stimulate the production of wax even more, So much so that I am waiting to have holes drilled in my skull (!!) so I can have BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aids) fitted. In the meantime, I have a four weekly appointment schedule to get the excess wax sucked out. LOL

One of the children I work with has BAHA and it really helps so hope it has the same result for you

 

[Gollom]

Would some bone conduction headphones work for you? I’ve got some Aftershokz ones and they’re pretty good. Not audiophile quality but not bad.

I would think so. I even have trouble with earbuds so they do sound (see what I did there?!) like a great idea. I don't know if the BAHA I get will support bluetooth to Android. Probably not as the NHS ones tend to not be the very latest model. Not complaining mind - a group I am a member of has Americans who are having to shell out $10K+

 

[ChrisEdu]

I was thinking more along the lines of some Focal Bathys.

 

[rich1068]

and has now booked me in to have a Dyson shoved in me lug 'oles!

It's very satisfying

 

[grober]

Ear Canal Lavage has largely fallen out of favour with the medical profession for some reason now but
Vacuum Microsuction – Is recognised as one of the safest and most effective procedures for the removal of wax, this method employs air suction and a microscope to gently remove ear wax. I have had this done and it can remove wax that has adhered to the eardrum itself--- slightly strange sensation but very effective----provided you get an experienced operator of course!
A major cause of canal blockage In many cases is evidently use of cotton buds!

 

[ChrisEdu]

Ear Canal Lavage has largely fallen out of favour with the medical profession for some reason now but
Vacuum Microsuction – Is recognised as one of the safest and most effective procedures for the removal of wax, this method employs air suction and a microscope to gently remove ear wax. I have had this done and it can remove wax that has adhered to the eardrum itself--- slightly strange sensation but very effective----provided you get an experienced operator of course!
A major cause of canal blockage In many cases is evidently use of cotton buds!

I've had the vacuum treatment before, certainly preferable to irrigation.

As for cotton buds, we don't have them in the house. However, a combination of music earbuds and thick gunky wax can't be helpful.

 

[Chrishazle]

Cora has had a similar problem for quite a few years now - very narrow ear canals so local surgery cannot perform irrigation, she has to go to the nurse led ENT clinic at the local hospital for microsuction. That was every 3 months, then the consultant recommended a canalplasty (mechanical widening of the troublesome left ear canal) performed by "the best in the country" - Dr Matthew Jung at Ipswich, so we voted with the cheque book to dramatically shorten the waiting time, she had the op, then had to go back to him for a second time (thankfully this time NHS) and here we are, 3-4 years later, now she needs microsuction every 2 months at the local nurse led ENT clinic! 4 figure bill plus lots of suffering and discomfort for Cora and although the initial results were good, long term it's worse than originally, she will not admit it but she actually needs a hearing aid on her left ear. Another bloody NHS consultant lining his pockets from a private practice as well as taking a high salary from the NHS for part time work, a gold plated final salary pension and a load of money stacked up in his private company. So much for the Hippocratic Oath they have to take, these days it's more like the Hippocritic Oath!

 

[Doodle]

Olive oil does 2 parts of jack, you want something with hydrogen peroxide in it (followed by a shower to wash it out). Otex Express is the most commonly found one, pick it off the supermarket shelf.

I'm an ENT warzone and regularly wear earplugs on the bike, but 2 or 3 round of this whenever it's feeling blocked has kept me from needing vacuuming.

 

[Chrishazle]

Earol olive oil spray is what Cora has been recommended for a long time now, not sure I'd want her using peroxide when the local NHS normally gets her into the ENT nurse led clinic for microsuction every 2 months!

 

[ChrisEdu]

Earol olive oil spray is what Cora has been recommended for a long time now, not sure I'd want her using peroxide when the local NHS normally gets her into the ENT nurse led clinic for microsuction every 2 months!

I've been pouring in the Napolina!

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Ear Canal Lavage has largely fallen out of favour with the medical profession for some reason now but
Vacuum Microsuction – Is recognised as one of the safest and most effective procedures for the removal of wax, this method employs air suction and a microscope to gently remove ear wax. I have had this done and it can remove wax that has adhered to the eardrum itself--- slightly strange sensation but very effective----provided you get an experienced operator of course!
A major cause of canal blockage In many cases is evidently use of cotton buds!

+1 You beat me to it.

I know I can rant about over-diagnosis and over treatment, but a bit of action and a bit of patience does work wonders.

If only we had some kind of Health Service that could explain this stuff to people as they go through life, rather than leaving people to work it out from friends and a bit of over treatment by well-meaning technicians trying to put together a deposit on a new BMW.

And, as comfort, I do know a lotof people who are in denial about their issue, and who pay the price. You are, at least, addressing the issue.

 

[Dippo]

My doctor prescribes Earcalm to reduce infections and remove wax - it's got acetic acid (vinegar) in it. It's also available OTC.

My best recent discovery was buying a new android Pixel 7, which allows me to link the phone to my hearing aids by bluetooth - I believe most iphones allow this as well.

 

[MD5]

I have an old ear dropper syringe with a sturdy rubber bulb, which works well if used frequently. I also have a kit like this. That said, none of it helps my tinnitus and I remember a doctor saying the smallest thing you should out in your ear is your elbow.

 

[ChrisEdu]

I have an old ear dropper syringe with a sturdy rubber bulb, which works well if used frequently. I also have a kit like this. That said, none of it helps my tinnitus and I remember a doctor saying the smallest thing you should out in your ear is your elbow.

I've also been told the elbow thing by an ENT specialist.

Funny that you mention tinnitus, ad that's what triggered this journey. Mine has been getting really bad, so I contacted my GP about it. He then said to get a hearing check, before doing a referral to ENT.

At the hearing check, the audiologist couldn't proceed, due to the total blockage from wax, so told me to get them done. Fast forward, I'm now in what feels like a worse situation, with tinnitus raging, sore ears, and feeling completely bunged!

 

[ChrisEdu]

The deafness fun continues!

Saw doctor today to get micro-vacuum treatment. First thing he commented on was how narrow my ear canals are. Great!

So, he sets to work, ramming things in my ears and shoving the vacuum inside. Eventually, the right ear seems pretty good.

On the the left. Ah, doesn't look too bad, but I can't actually see the ear drum, it's so far back. Anyhow, he gives it a go, pushing deeper and deeper until I'm in quite serious discomfort/pain.

No good - ear still feels completely blocked and full of pressure. Now, I've got to try some different ear drops for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. In the meantime, I'm waiting for the hospital to get back to me with an ENT appointment.