Ear syringing for 11 year old

[Noodle66]

Hi,

My daughter is 11 and says that it feels like her ears are blocked all the time. She had an ear infection about a month ago, which GP prescribed antibiotics. The GP also said that she had compacted wax in the other ear had compacted wax and to use oil daily to try and loosen it, and if this didn't work to book in again as might need them syringing.

We've used the oil daily to no avail. So my question - is there anywhere that I can book an 11year old in to get her ears syringed without going via our GP? I know spec savers do it but she is too young to go there. Our GP is ridiculously busy and impossible to even get through to on the phone sometimes, so hoping I can just book her in somewhere else.

Thanks

Where are you based? I can recommend someone in Manchester that’s very good.

I do ear irrigation and I wouldn't perform it on someone that young, I would refer to ENT. You may be able to find someone who does micro suction privately.

How much oil have you been using? You can use more than they say on the bottle, I would get the drops in 2-3 drops 3-4 times daily if you can.

I live in Nottingham. We've been doing 2-3 drops but only once daily for the last month. She seems to have difficulties with her ears as had three ear infections overall too

Otex worked where olive oil had failed. Our GP said to try that while we were waiting for the suction appt. It was a 12 yr old.

Perhaps I should persist with GP then and ask for ENT referral? Do you think they would refer based on that? Do GP surgeries do it themselves or would it always be a referral to ENT for her age anyway?

Sorry, one last question is there a difference between ear irrigation and micosuction or are they the same thing?

Thank you 😊

Sheworeyellow - thank, we did have otex but when it ran out started using an oil one that we bought in Spain on holiday. Will go get some more otex today, and will up it to twice a day rather than the once.

The thing is she is not great at mentioning when it feels blocked either. She told me once that a ball hit her on the head in the playground and all of a sudden she could hear properly again and that she hadn't realised they were blocked until she could hear the difference. So, I'm not confident that I will know if the drops have been completrly successful even if we continue.

Do you have private medical cover or could you afford to go private?
We were in a similar situation a year ago but with a slightly younger DC.
To get an appt with our GP you have to fill in an online form so explained that, as the oil didn't seem to have made a difference, we wanted to explore next steps and had private medical cover. The GP replied with a list of ENTs and asked me to select one. I selected one, she did the referral, I waited a day and then contacted the ENT's receptionist & DS had his ears suctioned a week later, loads of gunk came out and his hearing improved immediately.
Since that initial appointment, we go back every 9 months or so whenever I notice DS' ears getting bad. As we're in the system, I no longer need GP referrals so I just sort it out myself. We now have to pay for it but are in the fortunate position of being able to afford it.

We don't have private medical insurance, but could afford to go privately on a pay as you go type basis if such a thing is an option at ENT clinics. I just looked at our local ENT service online and the average wait says 57 weeks!!

That's the average NHS wait time I mean

Dd is 15 and she has loads of issues with her ears, she has a referral for NHS treatment and her appointment is tomorrow, the GP did the original referral in December after she failed a hearing test.
We’ve paid privately in the past and she had micro suction done, it cost us £60.

In all honesty, I always tell people if they can afford to do it privately then I would. Only because of the wait times.

If the Gp has someone who can do micro suction then you might get lucky and get an appointment sooner rather than later. My patients wait around 4 weeks, which is better than the 16 weeks our local specsavers are quoting.

DIL has this done regularly she tried Specsavers not a good result so went privately.

Hi Op, my DD has the problem of blocked ears regularly, she has micro suction

Sorry posted too soon! She has micro suction performed once a year, you have to find a clinic that has a licence for under 16s. Where are you? I know two clinics on the South Coast that we've taken DD to and they're really good.

Thanks everyone for your replies, it's helpful. I've found a private practice locally that can do under 16's for micro suction and have DD booked in for next Wednesday! £85 quid but if it works it Will be worth it xx