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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have a bloody good rummage in my ear with a cotton bud?

124 replies

Cheesyslice · 03/08/2013 20:43

I'm going insane. It is SO. FUCKING. ITCHY. I'm climbing the walls.

I've had an ear infection since Tuesday. It's crippling. Been to GP twice and on anti b's plus nurofen / codeine / paracetamol. The left side of my face is swollen. Even hurts to bloody eat.

Obviously advice is to not stick anything in the ear but if I was gentle would I get away with a little ninja scratching session or would it make it worse? Confused

my love of ear digging is absolutely not the reason I am in this situation in the first place

OP posts:
nicky2512 · 03/08/2013 21:08

ENT Doc told me to never put anything in ear that is smaller than your elbow!?! Obviously I ignored her.

MoreSnowPlease · 03/08/2013 21:14

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Wellwobbly · 03/08/2013 21:19

Never a cotton bud! It is far to bulky and just pushes crud backwards.

a hair/kirby grip on the other hand - aaaaah!

HighBrows · 03/08/2013 21:24

I don't know what concentration, I would imagine it's mild and it doesn't sting. But it wipes out any would be infection Grin

dontputaringonit · 03/08/2013 21:26

NOOOOOO don't do it again. Never put ANYTHING in your ears. Ever ever.

HighBrows · 03/08/2013 21:27

I've just checked it's 3%. It's perfectly safe and I've been doing it on and off for years.

Wereonourway · 03/08/2013 21:30

I am a serial ear poker. I actually look forward to doing it. sad

However I did once land up in a and e when the end fell off and got stuck.

I was 21 and tried for 3 days to get it out. It ended up infected and a doc at casualty had to retrieve it with a hook.

Still do it.

nomorecrumbs · 03/08/2013 21:32

Does anyone else have dry, flaky, grayish-yellowish earwax instead of the normal sticky dark-brown stuff? I didn't think I had Asian ancestry but I still have dry earwax. It makes me wonder if my family tree is all wrong and I'm secretly adopted

Lj8893 · 03/08/2013 21:35

I cannot live without cotton buds!!

My ears get blocked so easily, and quite often lead to infections but antibiotics never work! I just have to let the infection clear itself.

Cotton buds don't completely do the trick though so I may have to try that hydrogen peroxide trick!!

daisychain01 · 03/08/2013 21:37

Advice from Sister Daisychain ... Never put anything into smaller than your little finger inside your ear .

This is from the same medical advice that says never scratch your eye except with your elbow.

MimsyBorogroves · 03/08/2013 21:39

Oooh, I love doing this. It's awful when I've got an itch so deep inside (fnarr) that it makes my throat tickle.

Melonbreath · 03/08/2013 21:41

Squirt salt water in there?

Whereisegg · 03/08/2013 21:41

My dp and I have real problems with this.

It's an obsession, a real dirty secret that we just can't stop.

I actually get twitchy when ear bud supply gets down to 20 or less.

Whereisegg · 03/08/2013 21:42

Was gonna do blush face, but I'm not fucking ashamed.

Newforestpony · 03/08/2013 21:43

nomore if you have dry flaky earwax you might want to consider this article. My husband worked as a chef for many years - hot busy environment - and he barely needs deodorant of any kind.

www.nhs.uk/news/2013/01January/Pages/One-million-Brits-can-dump-their-deodorants.aspx

CaptainSweatPants · 03/08/2013 21:43

Please dont put anything else in it
Ignore salt water advice Shock

TravelinColour · 03/08/2013 21:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HighBrows · 03/08/2013 21:48

Am I really the only freak person to put hydrogen peroxide in my ears? I thought loads of people knew about this, it really works. Blush

nomorecrumbs · 03/08/2013 21:51

That's right Newforestpony, I don't wear deodorant because my old sweat smells like vinegar Grin not stinky like OH's.

Still confused as to where the gene for that comes from though!

Original poster
Cheesyslice · 03/08/2013 21:53

Oh I am loving all of these various ear digging methods. Cotton bud, kirby grip, hydrogen peroxide (is that BLEACH?), salt water, olive oil, elbow...so much inspiration Grin

Seriously though, I am going to have to stop rummaging. It just feels so good though. Does it make anyone else cough?

whereisegg I am actually jealous of the ear jam that my husband manages to harvest. I only ever get a few little specks, he gets some frank awesome globules.

OP posts:
filee777 · 03/08/2013 21:53

Hydro peroxide is the main ingredient in the ear drops I give fo service users I see daily

HighBrows · 03/08/2013 21:56

Yes it's very mild bleach and kills infection.

filee777 what do you give the hydro peroxide for, what type of service users.... tell me all!

GettingVerySleepy · 03/08/2013 22:01

DH has psoriasis in his ears and was constantly having to go to the doc to get his ears syringes, was constantly getting ear infections, and was basically miserable. I took pity on him and now clean his ears once a week with these Japanese ear torture thingys - he hasnt had a single ear problem sinc. now he can never divorce me as he neeeeeeds me, nobody else would do this for him www.amazon.co.uk/Colorful-Painting-Pattern-Earpicks-Pendants/dp/B008MKZNBQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375563444&sr=8-2&keywords=japanese+ear+cleaner

summermakesmesneeze · 03/08/2013 22:03

Does anyone else wake in the night with itchy ears and have to get up to have a poke around?! I can't sleep again til I've sorted it. It's unbearable.

katykuns · 03/08/2013 22:03

I get the coughy tickle thing when I go too deep.
I have really quite hurt myself digging out gunk from my ears, but they are so prone to blocking that I feel I need to do it :/