Do you get your ears cleaned? PCP or specialist?

[slsdog]

I get an occasional build up in one ear. Had the nurse/assistant do it one time - never again, I do it myself.

When they did it, the spray blast was sometimes hitting my eardrum directly (which she couldn't really tell), and was like jet engine loud, though not really too painful.

I've done the lay on the side with warm oil, then water/peroxide mix, then flush, but that's kind of awkward. I found that a bulb syringe with plain warm water, shot it at just the right angle to flush things out seemed to work as well and much easier, and no chance of irritation from the hydrogen peroxide.

-ERD50

Exactly what happened to me . Better off doing it yourself. Hydrogen peroxide works well.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I clean my ears every couple of months using a stainless steel scraper that I got from a Daiso. I like how it feels. However, one time I was a bit too rough and I made a part of my ear canal wall bleed. I went to my family doctor to take a look and it was fine. But he gave me crap and said I shouldn't be doing it. I still do though, just more carefully.

I drove my uncle when got referred to an ENT to get his ears cleaned. I saw the ENT take out some pretty huge chunks of ear wax. And not surprisingly, afterwards my uncle said he was not hearing so much better.

 

[freedomatlast]

Debrox never worked for me. Audiologist now recommends EAR WAX MD which she says is much more effective than Debrox.

 

[Pineapple13]

Qtips are bad news

Like others here I always had waxy ears and my mom would tell me my ears are dirty and clean them with a Qtip. Fast forward to adulthood and I had constantly itchy ear canals. I tried everything. Antihistamines and different oils but they still itched. I used Qtips to scratch them throughout the day. Then a doctor suggested that I had upset the balance of protective wax in my ears and suggested I stop putting anything in my ears. It took some time and I suffered through the itch but now my itchy ears are gone! I had irritated my ear canals and removed the protective wax with Qtips. Never again! My audiologist offers to clean out my ears as needed. But after reading this thread, I'm going to look into the home cleaning kits.

 

[JoeWras]

Well someone else mentioned it, so I'll fess up too.

From time to time, I've used the old bent paperclip.

Don't do this.

As the previous post said, it becomes a downward rabbit hole of itch. Just let nature do its thing. I do irrigate with plain water and the squeeze bulb. That doesn't seem to mess up the film attached to the canal, it just dislodges any chucks that happen to have encapsulated a mosquito or something. (Not joking)

 

[Chuckanut]

My PCP told me years ago that my ears had a lot of wax in them and he could not see what he needed to see. He advised me to clean my ears with an OTC kit before my next visit. I was amazed at what comes out.

So, every few years I go through the wax removal routine a week or so before my annual Wellness Visit. Not every year, about every three years.

 

[Gonz]

I use an electric ear cleaning water gun and wifi ear camera with iPhone.

Don't wear earplugs all day anymore since retired. Once or twice a year cleaning is enough.

 

[MarieIG]

Stayed at my uncle's place for a few days when I was 5 and little sis was being born. He used a paper clip to clean my ears. My parents never cleaned my ears so I was pretty intimidated by the whole thing. Funny how kids recall such things.

Somebody, naming no names, when she was about five thought it would be interesting to measure the depth of her ear canal but inserting a (luckily very small) nail. Turns out even a small amount of pressure on the ear drum can be painful - or so I've heard.

 

[Koolau]

Somebody, naming no names, when she was about five thought it would be interesting to measure the depth of her ear canal but inserting a (luckily very small) nail. Turns out even a small amount of pressure on the ear drum can be painful - or so I've heard.

SO... How how deep was the ear canal??