Ear wax....

[kellzs]

Dd has been complaining for her ear feeling 'full' as she puts it. She's 7.

Had a look with the torch on my phone - as you do lol - and I can see it's full of solid black wax. Must be quite discomforting for her.

I've rang the drs and can't be seen for 2 weeks.

Is there anything I can do to help remove it fairly quick as it is bothering her?

I know olive oil and the stuff you can buy in the shops softens it - I've had my ears syringed lots of times.

I'm just wondering what the best thing to buy is for a child?

Dr recommmed Olive oil drops for my daughter. Softens it and makes excess come out easier. If can't take her to maybe could go see pharmacist in your local chemist they can advise what to do.

On the times that we've gone to our GP for ear related issues, he's always said not to put anything in there. He said not to worry about ear wax as its natures way of cleaning the ear and that it gets pushed out on it's own - prodding it with an ear bud to try and extract it for example might cause more problems. Not sure about black ear wax though but maybe a pharmacist might have more of an idea in the meantime.

Yes olive oil for a few days to soften it up. But it's a nurse you need not the doctor, they should be able to see you sooner than 2 weeks.

Can children have Microsuction if it is very bad? Maybe find a local audiologist and ask them? They will probably say to start with olive drops anyway

Our surgery won't syringe children's ears so my DS was referred to audiology for suction. He said his ears felt "full" (so seems similar to your DD) but he was a bit older I think - maybe 9 or so. It worked a treat (and if you're into that kind of thing it is gruesomely fascinating to watch😀).

We had a nightmare trying to find someone to do microsuction on my DS, he's a huge 14 yr old but because he's still a child they were very reluctant. Also refused to syringe it. In the end we went through our private healthcare and still had to wait a few weeks. Amazing what came out though!
Definitely olive oil to soften it up, you can buy 'proper' olive oil from the pharmacy, just pour it in while child is lying in their side and make them stay there for 10 mins, try and do this 3 times a day. If you're lucky it will come out by itself on the pillow

Olive oil plus cotton bud. As advised by a paediatric ENt consultant - drops of oil, good massage in and use the bud to gently remove, I have a kind of twirl as I go method! I don't poke in deep obviously but she reassured me I'd do no damage and it's been so much more effective than drops alone. You might need a prescription drop if it doesn't clear after a few days.

Please be careful with cotton buds! That's how Ds got his wax jammed in his ear. I'm really surprised an ENT consultant recommended that, DS got a right telling off for using them.

Suction! Worked a treat for my 7yo. Cost £35.

My 4 year old had microsuction in a London clinic on a Saturday morning ( higher price than midweek) for £90.

If you can see the wax and it isn't too deep, could you get some tweezers and try and gently pull it out? I did that once with dd2 who was complaining of pain, and it worked a treat.

I was surprised too but it was so effective, it wouldn't jam it in with that method as it's soften with oil/drop and scoop out, as such, with bud.

We were advised to try olive oil. When that didn’t work we were referred to microsuction (not part of audiology, but an outpatient department at the local hospital). My DD couldn’t tolerate micro suction (she was ? 7 at the time) so they told us to try sodium bicarbonate ear drops for 10 days, morning and night. Amazingly they worked where months of olive oil didn’t. We still use the bicarb ones when her ear gets blocked.