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 ???

You'll have to travel Viva - I'll do it for you for a tenner

Not being able to hear properly and being in discomfort for an extended period IS an emergency IMO
You will have to take the time off
And make it up to your nice boss another time.

You can buy the proper Propulse machines for £140 online.

Thank God someone else is having this problem. It just seems to be a political football in some GP surgeries - I had the same experience as you, OP. I'm now a regular at the ClearEar Clinic, which someone else has linked to - you can get it done same day, no problem, deafness over.

I do wish the NHS would be honest and say: ear syringing is now a huge bone of contention and we don't want to do it any more.

The really frustrating thing is that you can't see into your own ear to establish whether or not you've got an ear infection. So however much you muck around with substances and devices at home, you won't know whether it's actually infected. And apparently GPs aren't prepared to check any more - or mine isn't.

Oh I love a good earwax video

It's ok for people who live near ear clinics but for people in the sticks it's not much help.

Yes, I know. Even I have to travel up to central London. But they diagnosed and treated an advanced fungal ear infection I had, which my GPhad pooh-poohed, insisting that I must wait a week until the practice nurse had time to syringe my ears. Which would, btw, potentially have forced the fungus into my brain. Nice.

I wouldnt let anyone syringe my ears OP. As someone else has said, have the wax removed under direct vision with microsuction. More effective and safer.

Think there's a gap in the market for a nationwide network of ClearEar Clinics.

Maybe they could take over old Post Offices.

I doubt it would have gone into your brain Civilon - the ear drum would have got in the way surely? (assuming you had no perforation)

Not good that the GP ignored a fungal infection though.

I so want to be Sidge's assistant when she syringes ears and pops boils

It's the most satisfying part of the job, MissBeehiving!

Other parts, not so satisfying...

Quite a big assumption that I didn't have a perforation, though, eh? And syringing can itself perforate an eardrum, so then my brain would've been stuffed.

Sidge, what do you think of those microsuction devices you can buy to use yourself from old lady catalogues?

Well I'm afraid I'm a fair weather assistant Sidge, but I'm available for pus duty should you need me

You can Buy otoscopes on amazon. I'm in heaven! Gonna get one and aural forceps.

Should we just get anybody to stick those things in our ears, then?

Couldn't we just put leeches in our ears?

I reckon if you've got a big plug of wax that you can see with a scope you're not going to do much harm hooking it out as long as you're gentle. It's not like you'd touch the eardrum. Disclaimer that I have no idea what I'm talking about however I feel I've seen enough YouTube videos to beagle to do it mow.

But it's dh I'm going to have to convince to do it on me isn't it?

Yes, that's the problem. You actually can't do it yourself. You have to rope in some other incompetent person.

I adore having my ears suctioned! seriously though my ears cause me no end of bother and because if previous perforations I can't have them syringed. The last time they were cleared properly took weeks because my GP refused to believe I had another ear infection and would not refer me to ENT! When he finally did my ears were in such a state that auctioning had me actually screaming in agony and crying! Very nice consultant gave me huge course of aural antibiotics and had me come back again. When he cleared them it was bliss! I could hear and be free of pain! He wrote a huge letter of complaint to the practice too!

Once you ladies have all finished getting down and dirty with the contents of your ears, this is a really good product for preventing the need for syringing.

Very interesting, Slave.

BUT

the ClearEar Clinic made me promise never to put anything in my ears. So who do I believe?

I would also say to have a go yourself with large syringe especially if you have been dropping in olive oil for period of time.

Fill basin with warm water and lean over - syringe up water from sink and gently squirt into ear. Do not apply too much pressure - just slow and steady. You might have to do quite a dew before wax loosens but it should soon clear.

Try both and believe what works for you?

I know lots of scuba divers that use it and swear by it, but divers ear problems might be quite different to whatever it is that causes the need for syringing.

I have no idea, my ears are the complete opposite and are all dry with eczema