Pilot brother

[deeter]

Hi, just looking for advice. Brother seems to have crazy ear wax - called severe by a specialist. He occasionally uses ear pumps things to drain but this seems to cause ear infections (despite sanitisation). He is a pilot so this jeopardises his ability to work.

Any recommendations?

Has ear inflections like a toddler!

He should go and get them hoovered at click hearing. If he goes regularly it should keep it at bay.

Overlay and get it suctioned professionally.

YANBU

He should see a specialist and make sure they know what he does. It maybe he could be fitted with gromits or similar as a child would. . other wise it is regular cleaning out by proper professionals not high street syringers/hopi candles - proper hoovering etc and maybe addressing the cause e.g with the gromits for narrow ears.

• No idea how ‘regularly’ got turned into ‘overlay’, stupid predictive text/autocorrect.

See an ENT consultant-they can get rid of wax using air without the need to syringe the ear.

This may not go down too well….

Ive had ear issues since I was little, glue ear when younger, nearly had gromits etc.

About 5 years ago I was issues about every 3 months with my ears, for several years they’d block up, I’d get them syringed or suctioned and again few months later.

What changed was I bought a water flosser. When my ears start getting gooey, I fill it with warm water and get the wax out myself.

Ive been doing this myself now since start of the pandemic and not needed to see anyone about it since!

He should report it to his company aviation Dr but if it’s as bad as you say why hasn’t it been picked up on his annual medical.

Hydrogen peroxide to clear clogged ear wax. Hoovering at Specsavers would help too.

He needs to them regularly cleaned by suction. Lots of places do it and it's usually about £50-60 to get both ears done. They kind of suck the wax out with a teeny little Hoover type device.

DP has an ear disorder and has to get it done two or three times a year. It's much safer than syringing.

Thanks SO much.

DB has made his medical issuing doctors aware of ear issues. So far infection has not overlapped with medicals. He probably gets infection 2-3 times a year. Just wanting to be proactive. Last dr suggested the tool which he suspects is contributing to infection.

Tricky,

The obvious stating point is as @StrawberryJellyBelly suggests, the company doc (if there is one), especially if the doc is also your brother's aero-medical examiner (AME)...the company should have an interest in keeping him fit. I'd hope you'd get more from a company doc than recommendations for a pump

If your brother is using a non company AME then it's a slightly different relationship, they may not see the ear infections as a big deal as long as they are declared on the paperwork and your brother passing the medical renewals on the day.