How do you clean your ears out?

[Visitor100]

Just wondering what other people do. I know the advise is not to put anything at all in there. However, it seems that I suffer with chronic ear wax problems and I end up having points I can't hear that well!

I use an ear spoon. I love it. I know the advice and I don't go deep. I was introduced to the concept by a Chinese friend many years ago. However I don't have problematic ears and if I did I might not use it.

I use cotton buds on my outer ear, and very rarely inside as I know I really shouldn't, but there's something about having a good (but very gentle) itch with a cotton but.

The more you use cotton buds the worse your wax problem will be, Ears are designed to be self cleaning.

I don't because you shouldn't. If I have wax in my outer 'shell' so to speak I'll wipe it gently with a warm, damp cloth but nothing ever goes inside my ear. I had a world of trouble with glue ear as a child and I'm not keen on repeating my residency at the ENT department.

If you've got wax issues OP you can go to the nurse and get it extracted regularly. Likely your best option!

If you've got wax issues OP you can go to the nurse and get it extracted regularly. Likely your best option! Good luck with that, it seems like yet another thing the NHS have decided is not effective.

A couple of drops of warm olive oil into each ear once a week. Stops the wax hardening and building up.

The advice is not to warm the wax now and just use it cold.

If you do have excess earwax, try using a bulb irrigator at home, after using oil for a few days to soften the compacted wax. Should wash it all out. You can buy them from most pharmacists.

We use diluted hydrogen peroxide

A session of Otex maybe 3 times a year. The express version comes with a little balloon thing that you use to wash out the excess wax after a few days of using drops

I’ve never had an ear infection and neither have my kids, so we must have been blessed with good ears. Mine itch sometimes, so I do use a cotton bud. I know I’m not supposed to but I’m careful and lucky it would seem.

I use olive oil i buy it from the chemist because it comes with a dropper my ears are horribley dry.

I also use cotton buds sometimes.

warm water under the shower.
if you have issues go to an ear clear clinic or an optician with audiology to have it suctioned out.

With my elbow.

Do not use cotton buds. They push the wax into your inner ear and once it’s there it won’t come out on it’s own. I would advise to treat with olive oil drops for two weeks to soften the wax and then see the nurse and get your ears cleared.
I just did it last week after barely being able to hear, with one ear blocked for two weeks. Felt nicely cleared afterwards

I have to clean mine out with a cotton bud as I wear hearing aids and if I don't the aids end up truly disgusting. In the days before cotton buds (yep, I'm THAT old) my mother used a hairgrip and a tissue. For about 30 years I had no ear wax at all as I had an infection in both ears and had them cauterised (not pleasant) the wax has only come back in the last few years.

My mother used to use a matchstick with the end wrapped in cotton wool in the days before cotton buds.
I clean mine regularly with buds and have done all my life. However, I have always had very waxy ears, even as a small child. If I leave them more than a few weeks they are quite disgusting. You can actually see clods of wax sitting in the ear. I have never had ear problems due to cleaning them and I'm in my mid 60's. In fact my ears were checked this morning by my doctor and she said there was no wax in them at all. If using a cotton bud compacted wax up against your ear drum I would surely be a prime candidate?

I have to clean mine out with a cotton bud as I wear hearing aids and if I don't the aids end up truly disgusting

Same here, but if anyone's tempted please be very careful. Stupidly I wasn't, so caught my arm on the shower door, pushed the cotton bud in too far and cost myself a perforted ear drum

Cotton buds. I know I shouldn't but it's just so good for itch-scratching. I only move them in a circular motion just at the entrance though, so don't go deep at all. Unscathed thus far.

Mine are terrible and tend to get waxy I use bicarbonate drops.

I end up having to have extraction eventually at the hospital.

Used to have syringing at the surgery.

I never poke inside just wipe outside with cotton wool

I always use cotton buds too every 2-3 days and have never had a problem (fingers crossed).

Cotton buds. I warm them up with hot water and use a scooping motion very gently and carefully. It only pushes wax further in if you're mashing at them randomly. I can't bear the feeling of earwax inside my ears, I'm constantly aware of it irritating me and this is the only method that sorts it. Olive oil etc wouldn't and I couldn't let it build up long enough to get syringed. I've also used tiny interdental brushes to scoop it out before, again very cautiously.

The ears, like the vagina are self cleaning. The more stuff you stick in the ears the more damage to the tiny hairs which clean them. Ironically the more stuff you use to clean the ear the more you damage and limit the ability of the ears to self clean.

So I tried a hair clip and then the cotton bud with some warm water. The ear I'm having trouble with was coming out pretty much clear and the good ear I got lots of wax out!

I have had previously had problems with the middle ear too so it could be this but the only thing I know to do is inhale menthol in hot water. I will try this but I hate that this keeps reoccurring with me. I've tried holding my nose and blowing to pop them but nothing happens.

If ears are self cleaning, why is it necessary for some people to have them syringed to remove the hard ear wax that's built up?