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

Ah yes, the old 'privatising by stealth' trope that everyone trots out. The point is, ear syringing is not recommended anymore - there are new ways of dealing with such issues. Rather like trepanning is no longer thought to be effective, nor is blood letting, so these aren't generally available on the NHS.
Read up on the NHS -in 1950, 2 years after it was introduced by a Labour govt, the same govt realised that it was going to be far too expensive, so introduced prescription charges and dental charges, which every govt since has kept.
The NHS is a victim of its own success - people want to be kept alive longer (Naturally), so given the constrains of staffing, money and physical buildings, plus a 2 year pandemic, it's hardly surprising that the treatments that are no longer considered good practice are dropped.

That’s why I said ‘or alternative.’ I get that treatments change or evolve and that new treatments take over from others.

Btw most prescriptions are free, so little fundraising going on there. I get all my prescriptions free by virtue of an under active thyroid. I think it’s something like 10% of prescriptions are paid for! And of course England is the only Uk country that charges at all.

Interesting thread as I've currently got one ear that I'm deaf in, I think due to wax build up. I did manage to get an appointment with a GP practice nurse who confirmed she could refer me on (to NHS clinic) but she couldn't say what their waiting times may be.

There is the option of going private (although pricy, a local clinic is £80 per ear).

I also saw the Amazon link from a pp for a home DIY ear wax removal kit, but this did make me worry about whether it's possible to make things worse by trying... has anyone else tried this (apart from the one pp ?)

The NHS is a victim of its own success - people want to be kept alive longer (Naturally), so given the constrains of staffing, money and physical buildings, plus a 2 year pandemic, it's hardly surprising that the treatments that are no longer considered good practice are dropped.

If I recall correctly, deafness in the elderly contributes to cognitive decline. What is cheaper for the state - sorting people’s ears out regularly, so they can hear properly and be pain/tinnitus free; or paying for social care for them? It’s ludicrous to withdraw funding for treatment, leaving those who can’t afford it, with long term disability and increasing health inequality for the poor!

If I recall correctly, deafness in the elderly contributes to cognitive decline. What is cheaper for the state - sorting people’s ears out regularly, so they can hear properly and be pain/tinnitus free; or paying for social care for them? It’s ludicrous to withdraw funding for treatment, leaving those who can’t afford it, with long term disability and increasing health inequality for the poor!

Absolutely agreed

To add to the discussion....

My local area still says it offers ear microsuction on the NHS. However when I was referred through, I was told by the clinic that they have a waiting list which could be a few months (understandable).

I really don't feel I can wait that long as I'm currently almost completely deaf on one side - it has come on over 4 weeks and I'm sure is due to wax. I'm struggling to deal with any sort of background noise (e.g. in the office).

So I've booked for private microsuction treatment, looks like £65 or so.

This varies from practice to practice. Some GP practices still offer free ear syringing (ear irrigation and suction), some don't.
It's not an NHS funded service from what I understand so those practices that offer it are doing it gratis---they don't get money back from the govt. My practice is one that still offers it though limitedly because you have to be specially trained and so only handful of staff are ablet to do it.

skodadoda · 20/05/2022 14:52

Please let this organisation know

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

and write to your MP.

I ended up paying to have my ear syringed as they wouldn't do it at my surgery and I couldn't afford to keep having private treatment.

I followed the link above and wrote an email to my mp who responded quickly and sent me a letter with a form to complete to return so that she can investigate and act on my behalf.

So I would say it's def worth pursuing.

Thanks again for posting the link.

OP I have had ear infections and wax build up/water getting trapped for years. Last year I had to go to a&e for the mother of all ear infections, it was completely water logged and said my ear drum looked like a prune! Long story short the ent doctor there told me about an ear clinic. So now every 4 months I go to the clinic at the hospital, they check my ears and micro suction them as wax build up causes all my issues. Before that I was paying £90 every few months to have it done privately. I also wear customised ear plugs every time I have a shower or go swimming. Speak to your GP and see if there is such a clinic at your local hospital? I say local but I have to travel a little bit to the one nearest me that does it but i don’t care!

You do have to have had ear issues for a long time though to be considered for this clinic fyi

Came here to say this. I find a 50:50 mix of white vinegar and isopropyl alcohol effective, use a little glass dropper, works for water stuck in the ear and also for outer ear infections.

Seems a bit entitled- have lost quite a few colleagues over the last two years, and the waiting lists for serious illness that can not be managed with simple solutions is massive- can’t get worked up about something that for the majority of people can be dealt with by use of simple regular analgesia, heat, olive oil and time. Instant fixing is such a societal expectation these days. There are solid reasons that this is no longer seen as an essential service for those with water in the ear from swimming for example- flushing with more water is not always the safest and most effective treatment for this. Same for treating ear infections with antibiotics every time. Evidence directs how we treat common problems, however we can’t treat peoples expectations.

@Kilofoxtrot99
I think the point of this thread though is by treating mior illnesses early stops them being more severe further down the line. A stitch in time and all that.

And please don't respond with otex, olive oil, ear plugs etc, as already documented on this thread, self help measures aren't always effective. It's not always a one size fits all approach.

I think some of the posters above dismissing the problem of blocked ears do not realise just how unpleasant it is and how it prevents you from functioning properly. It is also not accurate to say that you can sort out a bad blockage yourself at home.

I have very waxy ears and if one or both get blocked, I can't hear properly, get dizzy, have earache, feel ill, and can't concentrate on my work (or anything else) as my head is ringing. This continues until the blockage is removed. Ear drops or olive oil etc make no difference, and, in fact, some ear drops seem to irritate my ears and make things worse. The kits you can buy are worse than useless, in my opinion.

For years now, I have been using Audiclean spray every day and I have to say it makes a huge difference in terms of the number of times my ears get blocked. I went from needing them syringed at least once a year to not being able to remember the last time I had a bad blockage.

However, I do dread my ears getting blocked badly, and am hoping I can find a private audiology service who will sort them out quickly. I am lucky that I will be able to stump up the £80+ I've heard it costs. However, there are lots of people who can't afford that amount and it seems very unfair to me. I really don't understand why GPs are no longer expected to deal with blocked ears when they cause so many problems.

can’t get worked up about something that for the majority of people can be dealt with by use of simple regular analgesia, heat, olive oil and time.

Everybody has lost friends and relatives during their life; but if you went deaf and suffered constant tinnitus, would you be willing to put up with it for the rest of your life, if in fact, it were easily treated? Its easy to say “I’m all right Jack!”, when it’s other people suffering permanent disability.

The clue is in “the vast majority of people”…not everyone.