To get my ear syringed out of 'ear syringing clinic times'

[Northumberlandlass]

My left ear has been blocked now for two weeks. I saw GP who passed me onto District Nurse. They said I needed to use olive oil for 2 weeks, then come back.

SO, I called this morning & asked if I could have an appointment for tomorrow (singing in a Christmas concert tomorrow night) to be told that the 'ear syringing clinic' is only on a Tues / Thurs from 2-4. I nicely told her that I couldn't do that as I work 25 miles from my GP's & that I work those days.

So, I called the GP's & explained, asked what could be done. They said the Practice Nurses aren't allowed to syringe ears now & that the GP's aren't trained too. She suggested that I call the District Nurses back & ask again.

Called District Nurse who offered me an appointment today at 3.15 ...I became parrot like and said I couldn't do today, but I was off tomorrow (DS Nativity) and begged them to squeeze me in or Friday.

NO NO NO ! ONLY IN EAR SYRINGING CLINIC TIMES ! I can't get there. So, I was told there was nothing they could do.

AIBU to expect them to help me ???

And I would much rather have my ears syringed by someone who does all the time than by someone who does it once in a blue moon!

One of my friends syringes my ears for me with no training. Not that I'm recommending it but it works fine and I've had blocked ears lots. We get a big 50ml syringe and fill it with warm water, also use a small bit of an NG feeding tube to get the water slightly further in but I'm sure you could do it without the feeding tube if you can't get one. You should be able to get a big syringe at a chemist. It takes a few blasts and we get soaked but she always manages to get a huge, hard ball of wax out. But a bowl under your ear to catch as much water as you can.

I do her ears in return but she's not as waxy.

Does it just pop out or do you have to hoik it out viva?

And I know people will say DIY syringing isn't safe but its a lot less painful than that machine as there is no way you can squirt fast enough to get the same pressure up so I think its safer.

you can buy a self syringing kit from the chemist, it is called an ear bulb, you still have to do the olive oil first though to soften the wax for it to come out.

Pops out. You can feel it loosening for a bit and I'm shouting "harder, faster, its coming" at my mate and then there is a pop and it comes flying out.

I've tried the ear bulbs and never got it to work, can't squirt the water in hard enough. Its very gentle.

Oh God that sounds great! That's the weekend sorted then

I love it. Up there with cyst squeezing for me.

There is a fab Youtube video of some lad having his ears cleaned out by his brother.

Slightly orgasmic.

I doubt the nurses who do the ear syringing are on days off or sat on their backsides on the days that they do not unblock lugholes...

We need someone who works in a GPs surgery to come on and explain what nurses are doing on non-ear syringing days ... if they see people for other reasons, I'd have thought they could fit in a spot of ear syringing. YANBU.

District nurses visit housebound patients, so do not have regular clinic space. It is obv a local agreement that dn's do ear syringing for the organisation as maybe the gp's have opted out of providing this service. I do clinics for my organisation (not ear syringing!) and only have clinic space on alternate weds at one clinic and alternate mon and Fridays at another clinic. So, I couldn't see a pt at clinic on any other days even if I wanted to because there would be no clinic room as someone else would be using it!

I would guess that from what you've said, if it's only the district nurses do ear irrigation, that's why the times are restricted. District nurses normally provide care in patients own homes, so it's probably that there is no clinic space outwith those times in the GP surgery. I would be asking the practice why practuce nurses aren't trained to irrigate ears, as that service could then be provided outwith district nurse clinic times. Also, it's possible that the DN team have got timed home visits at the times you are free, and although your blocked ears are a nuisance, they will be lower priority than e.g a housebound patient with diabetes who needs insulin at a specific time every day.

I've had similar with tryingbto get dd an mmr. They only do it on the first Tuesday morning of every month. Eleven years on she's still not had it. I suppose I could try and see if she can get it in jan when she's off school, but that'll probably be a bank holiday.

I understand the scepticism about ear candling - really I do.

Until I did it on my whole family (DS complaining of sore ears whilst on holiday over bank holiday weekend).

DH and DD absolutely nothing in their candles when we opened them up ('cos we is gruesome).

Mine and DS - bleurchhhhh, orange lumps and smears of stuff that reminded me of the nicotined ceilings of my youth.

Whilst I accept it may be frustrating for some people, I think YABU. I think people should prioritise their health more and not leave stuff untill the last minute.

They should cater for people who work. Its impossible I am having to pay for private blood tests because the HCA who does them at my doctors finishes at 4pm!!! How do I get there in working time without having to take a precious day's leave?

I am a practice nurse and i syringe ears anytime you like. In my region you do need specialist training to do it safely, there is a substantial risk of causing a perforated ear drum or an infection. Lots of GPs are withdrawing this service as it is the single biggest cause of litigation in general practice, the cost of insuring a practice nurse to carry out such a task is soaring.
If you persist with the olive oil for long enough it will clear the wax, if it is starting to feel like things are shifting try swapping to sodium bicarb drops - this will break up the wax which has already been softened by the oil.
Please don't attempt to syringe at home!

It's strange that the practice nurses aren't doing it - I'm a practice nurse and ear washouts are a pretty fundamental part of our job. We do them in any available treatment room appointment. Whilst it takes a degree of skill and some training to do it safely and effectively it's not exactly rocket science.

LOL at a GP doing it though - our GPs wouldn't know one end of a Propulse machine from another

Anyway those of you asking what the community nurses are doing so that they can't do ear washouts whenever you like - off the top of my head our community nurse colleagues are doing the following:

Terminal care of patients imminently dying at home
Palliative care of patients dying slowly at home
Twice weekly Leg Ulcer clubs at outlying locations
Virtual Ward visits - home visits for those that should be in community hospitals but due to a drive to reduce hospital admissions and stays are being nursed in their own homes or care homes
Routine dressings, injections, blood tests, respiratory reviews, diabetic reviews, COPD reviews, mental health reviews, catheter care, post-operative management, all for housebound patients

wrt blood tests. In my area timing for bliod tests depend on when the bloods are collected to be taken to the lab- it may be that last collection is not much after 4. Plus your GP could take bloods at the same appt they decide you actually need blood tests. I think people need to remember that NHS provision is dependent on different deparrments, it's not always the primary care service provider just being awkward, but limitations on the services primary care providers can access.

Oh yes regarding blood tests - we only take blood if there is a pathology lab run collection due. There's no point me taking a blood sample at 1700 as it will sit in the box until maybe 1130 the next day - not ideal especially where the sample is time sensitive or may coagulate.

I've tried with olive oil and the otex drops for weeks and it never shifted the wax. It's such a horrible feeling, going deaf but at the same time noise seems loud and booming in my head. I hate blocked ears.

When I have had it done properly by the nurse I've had to sign a disclaimer form. I think it's a shame if dr surgeries are stopping doing it.

at Beaver's "harder, faster, it's coming". When have I heard those words before?