Ear syringing on the NHS

[Spidey66]

Also posted in health.
Went swimming a few days ago, and now my ear is blocked. Its painful, im deaf, and it's ringing. I've been putting olive oil drops in it and if anything its worsening.

I've had this before, and whats always sorted it has been syringing.

I went to a minor injuries/walk in yesterday because the pain was getting worse to be told the NHS no longer do syringing. The NICE guidelines now recommend micro suction for blocked ears but this is only done privately. Instead the NHS will refer to audiologists for hearing aids.

Hearing aid referrals for blocked ears? Come again? I'm only deaf for want of a brief intervention!

This is ridiculous!

Should ear syringing or an alternative be available on the NHS? Yabu = no go and pay for it. Yanbu= ear syringing or an alternative should be available on the NHS

BBC News - Why ear wax syringing is no longer free - minister
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54296737

Yes had this problem with my mother recently. Paid £55 for spec savers to do micro suction. They couldn’t do one ear, so end up paying again to have her seen to at her local Nuffield private hospital.

There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, microsuctioning has been shown to be safer (lower risk of perforation) of the two options. You can also use an ear bulb which is an “at home” form syringing but due to lower volumes etc, again less risk- you can get them from most pharmacies (and online).

Secondly, lots of clinical time was taken up to remove wax which can often be treated with oil or sodium bicarbonate drops if used long enough. Understandably, patients often don’t use as often as they should (they are busy/forget etc) and also get frustrated at how long it takes whereas syringing is a quicker solution.

Most GPs don’t offer microsuctioning because the equipment if very expensive and you need specific training to use (and this takes longer than the syringing equipment). If it is no longer funded, then GPs are unlikely to be making such a large investment in training and financial terms for a service which they will not get paid for.

I had to pay 60 pounds to get mine done in 2019 after my gp told me they no longer do ear syringing. That's per ear!. Wonderful when you've just been made redundant. I stupidly bought a manual ear syringer off the internet for 5 pounds as I just didn't have the money while waiting weeks and weeks for UC. And I ended up giving myself the worst ear infection and subsequent damage!. It landed me in hospital for a short time. Do not be an idiot like me lol. The ENT consultant I saw told me it's ridiculous and he's seeing the nock on effect of it on his lists.

It doesn't sound like its ear wax. More like water in your ears.

Check your local pharmacy, ours does it for £35 and did it there and then.

I don't suffer myself but have various family members who do. What seems hugely unfair is the need to remove ear wax in some people and not others is down to the shape of the inner ear and therefore complete luck. A regular shape will secrete wax normally and irregular won't and needs help. The new policy is effectively discriminating against people with an irregular inner ear. If the long term solution is to use drops have the powers that be worked out how anyone can do that themselves because if you need someone else to do it for you (DH can't do himself) then that's also discrimination.

@Spidey66 in your case do you suffer generally with blocked ears? If not you might well have picked up an ear infection from the pool.

Hopi ear candles done priva tely is an option.

My DP had his ears syringed (or however they did it) on the NHS less than a month ago 🤷🏼‍♀️

We all know that the NHS is struggling and is cutting its services in some areas. Personally I support this approach.

@ILoveANameChange

It doesn't sound like its ear wax. More like water in your ears.

Its both. The waters got behind the wax.

@jacks11
I get that micro suction is safer, but if that's the case they need to invest in it, rather than expect the patient to pay for it. Blocked ears are a common complaint, there should be NHS treatment for it.

I've just paid £75 to have dd ears micro suctioned. The doctor said that even Boots, Specsavers etc have stopped doing it now as well.
Her problem started with getting water in her ears and she ended up totally deaf in one ear for 2 months..

I worked in an ent and audiology clinic and we did micro functioning there, at that time it was done on the nhs and only a consultant could do it. We had folk come in that had there ears syringed by their practice nurse and had burst eardrums, severe infections and the consultant I worked with said she wished stringing was banned, as the damage and pain it could cause was catastrophic. I was taught to syringe on a day course!! I never practiced it as I never felt competent enough, but many others do.
We weren't taught to look for hidden infections, any damage already there etc....
I would never recommend stringing, pay out for micro suction.

@Guacamole001

Hopi ear candles done priva tely is an option.

Theyre not safe though.

Suctioning not functioning

Syringeing not stringing! Arghhhhhhh

Ear candles are pseudoscience and don't work

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_candling

@Guacamole001

Hopi ear candles done priva tely is an option.

Does precisely bugger all. Might as well just set fire to the cash and cut out the middle man.

YANBU. I have tried olive oil drops several times and it never ever works and I’ve stopped using it because nearly every time I use them I end up with an ear infection to go with my blocked ear. Referral to an audiologist for a hearing aid for a blocked at is so ridiculous it’s almost laughable and shows what a poor state the NHS is in.

We had folk come in that had there ears syringed by their practice nurse and had burst eardrums, severe infections and the consultant I worked with said she wished stringing was banned, as the damage and pain it could cause was catastrophic

That is why springing at the GPS was stopped - must have been a good couple of decades ago.

It remained available as a specialist procedure (normally in hospitals) and I suspect that it's availability, and that of suctioning, is a local post-code lottery issue

Hopi ear candles done priva tely is an option

Hopi ear candles are a load of rubbish. There is zero evidence for them. But they may set fire to you.

I have to clear out ear wax every couple of months I use a bulb I bought in the 1980s. Takes a minute and costs nothing...

You can buy a product in boots for blocked ears because of swimming. It’s a very alcoholic liquid. Don’t know why it worked on me but it did almost immediately.

This has been the case for so many years (at least the last 5) - so I cannot understand why you are getting so worked up about it.
I have difficult shaped ear canal and do my own wax-softening and gentle syringing (believe me as you get older this becomes more of a problem).
Some patients are unable to see medical staff face to face for serious problems and you want your ears seen to. YABVVU

As it says in the article the patient should be referred to ear nose and throat who provide microsuction. There is a campaign around the removal of ear syringing and how difficult it is to get GPs to refer to ENT for microsuction.

Please take a few minutes to write to your MP. Sadly this is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. There are template letters on the RNID site here;

rnid.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/take-action-if-nhs-ear-wax-removal-services-arent-available-in-your-area/