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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ear syringing on the NHS

242 replies

Spidey66 · 06/09/2021 07:04

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

OP posts:
Original poster
Spidey66 · 06/09/2021 07:49

@scaevola

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

Really? I've had it done a lot, my ears block easily. Can't remember the last time I had it done at the GP, probably about 5 or 6 years ago.

If it's outdated, fine, but if there are safer alternatives they should be widely available on the NHS.

OP posts:
MissyB1 · 06/09/2021 07:50

I’ve said yanbu purely because of people on low income/ benefits who can’t afford to pay. Personally I am happy to pay - but I’m in a position to.

Original poster
Spidey66 · 06/09/2021 07:51

@bunnybuggs

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
Oh dear. I'm being unreasonable for wanting my painful ear I can't hear out of to be treated.
OP posts:
Augusta1 · 06/09/2021 07:51

It’s privatisation by stealth. Having paid £90 for micro suction, which left me with tinnitus for 2 months, I bought a do it yourself syringing kit from Amazon and an Otoscope with a display screen so I can see inside my ears.

Original poster
Spidey66 · 06/09/2021 07:52

Ps it's not a race to the bottom, you know.Hmm

OP posts:
Pixxie7 · 06/09/2021 07:52

You shouldn’t syringe painful ears regardless.

Original poster
Spidey66 · 06/09/2021 07:53

@MissyB1

I’ve said yanbu purely because of people on low income/ benefits who can’t afford to pay. Personally I am happy to pay - but I’m in a position to.
Surely that's a reason I'm not being unreasonable......to want it on the NHS?
OP posts:
Original poster
Spidey66 · 06/09/2021 07:54

@Pixxie7

You shouldn’t syringe painful ears regardless.
They're painful cos they need syringing, that's all.
OP posts:
Tinysarah1985 · 06/09/2021 07:57

You have to use the oil for at least 2 weeks for it to make any difference. If that doesn't work then go back to the surgery. They have referral guidelines for microsuction and one of the criteria is that you have tried oil for at least two weeks.

muddyford · 06/09/2021 07:57

My mother, paid yesterday. She asked what happened if people couldn't afford it and was told an 18 month wait via NHS audiology. Good luck with telephone triage, then.

StMarysKettle · 06/09/2021 07:59

I bought a spiral shaped tool for getting wax out my ears. It got loads of wax out but it also gave me an ear infection. Last time I had my ears syringed at the Dr's the nurse really struggled so I had to go back 2 or 3 times - would I have to pay each time?

GnomeyGnome · 06/09/2021 08:00

I get mine syringed every year or so at my GP practice by the nurse. Last time was February 2020. Sad to hear that the NHS no longer offer it. I have a combination of wet, sticky wax and in the words of my nurse "child like inner ear tubes" so suffer with build up frequently. I suppose because it's something I know will probably happen again I can put some money aside for it but that's not going to be possible for a lot of people who may just end up trying to fix it at home and end up with worse problems.
Can't believe they said they'd refer for hearing aids!!

Demelza82 · 06/09/2021 08:09

I recently had a blocked ear, I remedied it myself by softening it myself with olive oil then using a earex ear bulb to flush it. Not difficult

Cluckycluck · 06/09/2021 08:13

I had water stuck behind wax after swimming recently. I ended up putting a white vinegar and isopropyl alcohol mix in them and it cured the problem very quickly. You can buy an alcohol based ear spray too

KingdomScrolls · 06/09/2021 08:16

This must be local policy DF had his done just before Covid hit at a local clinic/outpatient centre referred by GP, he spent a lot of his life working in very noisy environments and seems prone to it even with regular use of drops etc.

pianolessons1 · 06/09/2021 08:20

I'm a GP and we refer for microsuction on the NHS. It's area dependent.

scaevola · 06/09/2021 08:21

If it's outdated, fine, but if there are safer alternatives they should be widely available on the NHS

I agree!

Lalliella · 06/09/2021 08:26

Hopi ear candles work for me.

DS has narrow ear canals and his get blocked a lot, microsuctioning costs us a fortune! Luckily our local place does a pay monthly scheme.

It’s annoying there are no options on the NHS, but the general public in this country have voted for it to be stripped down to provide the minimum of services so we have to live with that I guess.

cravingmilkshake · 06/09/2021 08:27

There will soon be lots more things that we have become accustomed too being chargeable on the NHS.

I highly recommend Otex. I was deaf for about 4 months after swimming in the IOW . Used Otex and cleared it up in about 3 days.

IsAnybodyListening · 06/09/2021 08:34

Envious of people being able to sort it out themselves. I've been pretty much deaf in one ear for a year now. Hearing came back a few weeks ago for a couple of weeks, but it's now slipping again and I am struggling to hear.

Tried a suctioning ear thing I got on Amazon, Olive Oil, and Otex. Have used ear buds in the past which may have compacted.

Louloulou123 · 06/09/2021 08:35

I work in a walk in centre and get people coming in with blocked ears constantly. In my area GPs did still do it but it was stopped during COVID as it’s a high risk procedure for spreading any potential virus (the water sprays everywhere). I think the only option now is to pay privately.
Can I just ask if the walk in centre you went to actually checked your ears though? If you’ve just been swimming you have a high risk of the symptoms being from an ear infection, not ear wax.

gogohm · 06/09/2021 08:41

Buy ear drops, plus cotton wool, it takes a few days if patience but does usually work, if after two weeks you still can't hear they will refer you to the hearing clinic who do also offer ear clearing (it's a special service as the old way wasn't safe) ps it's usually allergies that cause me to get block ears and antihistamine clear them!

alwaysraininghere · 06/09/2021 08:42

It's really unfair. I have stupidly narrow ear canals so need them syringing maybe every 5 years if I get a bad plug? Gp nurse left to offer private service as no appointments available there! It's bonkers but I can sort of understand given parlous state of primary care.

alwaysraininghere · 06/09/2021 08:43

Apparently excess wax is a sign of not enough good fats in diet too.

BrisbaneandGone · 06/09/2021 08:44

@Guacamole001

Hopi ear candles done priva tely is an option.
Don't waste your money on Hopi candles, it doesn't work. Pisses me off that many salons in our area offer this