Which adult eardrops to buy (to dissolve earwax)?

[Octavia09]

Have seen a nurse this morning regarding my blocked ear. She said I need to buy eardrops and use them for 10 days to dissolve the hardened ear wax.
I have been checking on line different eardrops but cannot decide which one to buy.

There is Otex express ear drops www.boots.com/en/Otex-express-ear-drops-10ml_641573/?exploreAttributes=----------Best%20Match--List--%27Search%3A%20All%27-------_-%2712%27

Then there is Earol Ear Wax Remover Olive Oil Spray 10ml www.amazon.co.uk/Earol-Remover-Olive-Spray-10ml/dp/B001E5CF0S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=drugstore&qid=1284545589&sr=8-3

And the traditional one Cerumol Ear drops www.amazon.co.uk/Cerumol-Ear-drops/dp/B0017TLAWU/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=drugstore&qid=1284546084&sr=8-12

Has anyone tried any excellent drops? Many thanks!

Olive oil from the kitchen does the trick as well as any ear drops in my experience.

However, I once had a blocked ear for weeks and neither olive oil nor ear drops from the chemist worked (used them day and night for 2 mths), so I pushed my doctor into a referral and had them syringed - they got LOADS out of there and I could hear again perfectly! Don't suffer for too long before you ask for syringing.

Thanks TheMightyToosh. I think mine would not be esy to dissolve as I am not good at cleaning my ears; a bit of a ear phobia :)
I probably go to Boots and buy something what they reccomend and then see how it goes. The nurse told me to come back for syringing if the ear drops do not work. The other ear was syringed when I was a child; that was a bit of stone

You say that you were referred to a specialist. I was seen buy the nurse so I wonder whether it is their job to syringe or GP's or another specialist? Thanks.

olive oil..or cerumol ear drops as long as you are not allergic to almonds.

sodium bicarbonate drops from all supermarkets.... Then I would advice a syringe..

Hope that helps...

I used otex recently. They worked but I have used olive oil in the past and it is just as good. I have also had my ears syringed a few times. Its something that the nurse can do and I'm surprised she didn't. It is the quickest and easiest way to get rid of wax.

The otex took over 2 weeks to clear mine, it was particularly bad though.

My doctor's surgery WON'T syringe any - child or adult - patient's ears, instead saying that the ear is designed to clear wax itself and to leave them be. It drives me crazy, but they are a good surgery otherwise (despite the whinging I was doing a few weeks ago at not being able to get an appointment when I needed one!!)

If I could change one thing about my doctor's surgery, I would have an EAR CLINIC once a month!!! I bet it would be very well attended!

Pah!!! My ears don't clear wax itself. It builds up and up until I have to intervene with drops or something. Stuff which doesn't help my tinnitus and makes it worse.

Really feel sorry for anyone with that horrible blocked ear feeling. It's maddening!

Meow Our doctors won't syringe either. It's crazy imo. Surgeries have always done this for years. It's a great solution and really works.

When my dd started getting blocked ear problems, blimey what a palavar! We had to wait aaages for repeated hospital appointments to get it looked at and even then they'd only do this totally ineffective (and distressing) procedure called micro-suction.

Anyone could see syringing would've solved the problem in no time. Dd ended up having an operation to micro-suction her ears...it was total over-kill.

Olive oil much better. Here is what I do:

(1) Get a children's neurofen syringe of similar (must be v low volume - e.g. 5ml)
(2) Fill with oil and put it in a cup of hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes - test on inside of wrist.
(3) Lie on side and put a little in your ear. Stay down for five minutes. Do it in little squirts but you won't need the whole 5ml.
(4) Repeat on the other side.
(5) Do this three times a day for three days.

I had totally blocked one ear with wax following a swimming holiday and it cleared it within 48 hours.

I went recently with my elderly aunt to have her ears syringed and the nurse's advice was 2 weeks of olive oil drops twice a day then have them syringed
you can get your own olive oil or even buy cheaply in the chemist which already comes with a dropper, said not to bother with commercial/ branded drops

most nurses dont advise syringing anymore as the risks out weigh the benefits. Constant regular application of wax softeners will eventually clear it ,but you will have to be patient.

alypaly,

"but you will have to be patient"

Not one of my greatest features, I have to admit!!! I'm trying to be!!

Had to add my earwax story! (Warning, it's a bit gross);

Our surgery makes you an appointment with the nurse but you have to use ear-drops beforehand otherwise you are wasting everyones time; this I duly did, went for the appointment, left one Ok, and then started on the right (BTW I LOVE the sensation of warm water being pumped into my ear!) but she couldn't get any out. Cue big light brought in, the type when you have a smear test, and she managed to get a huge lump out that was loose in the ear, using a long thin pair of pincers. She said it was the biggest piece of earwax she had ever seen and I now have it sat in a little jar at home. Looking forward to the next time...

lovecheese,

I am duly jealous of your lump of earwax. What was the difference in your hearing like afterwards?!?!

Lovecheese I had a very big lump taken out too. Nurse v. Impressed. I had one ear done and it made me feel travel sick all day cos it affects your balance.

I use olive oil too. I just put some in a spoon, heat it on the gas ring on hob for ten secs or less and dab in with finger then lie on other ear for a while to let it pour in properly.

Love reading your comments! Ha-ha!
I know it is not ha-ha in reality. My ear is still blocked after 5 days of using Otex. Otex recommends 3-4 days and then self syringing. I have tried to do it myself twice but no luck. I am going to have more drops tonight and then will try to syringe again tomorrow. The nurse told me to have ear drops for 10 days.
The only good thing about this ear is that during the early morning I cannot hear those {angry} pigeons sitting on the tree next to our window. They start "talking" so early and just cannot stop, blah-blah-blah.
The bad thing is when I talk to my DS's teachers or TAs. Tho noise of the pupils makes my hearing even worse. Also, I have noticed it is hard to concentrate on the road as you cannot hear the car coming from that side.
So I am off to have more ear drops.

So sorry for anyone with blocked ear/ears at the moment as this happens to me every winter and its horrible. Boots own dual action drops are really good as they soften wax ready for syringing and dissolve it as well so can sometimes clear it. Otex I've found irritates my ears & makes syringing painful and olive oil does nothing for me at all.

sparklerainbowglitter, may be I should also try Boots dual action drops as Otex did not help me. The nurse tried to syringe it but nothing came out. She told me to use olive oil for 10 days. I tried olive oil but it does not stay in the ear. I think Otex has damaged my skin a little bit, according to my husband. I need to buy something as I cannot stand this blockage anymore. I have read on the Internet that sometimes syringing does not help because the wax becomes like a stone. I know my wax is very close to the ear drum as it is the sign why it hurts. So disappointed.

lovecheese MY GOD!!!!!!!!

I am with Octavia, anything I have tried to use (oil, drops or whatever) just drips out (yuk) and runs down my face. How do you stop that?

I olive oil the children at night when they get blocked ears - 2 are very waxy. Lie on their side with blocked ear up - then 3 to 4 drops of blood temp warmed olive oil in and then gently pull the ear until a bubble comes up and they can feel it has gone in as far as it can.
I then leave them to read a book on their side for a good 10 Min's and then get them to turn over and drain it into a tissue.
I also put an old towel on their pillow or the oil makes stains.

3 or 4 nights later we have a syringing session (my mother was a matron) which they all love and there is much delight in the yuck that comes out!

I use a hearing aid so get very waxy ears. I use Otex every other week.

How do you know whether your ears are blocked or you're just becoming a bit deaf? I've noticed recently that I can't hear as well as I usd to and just assumed listening to too much loud music when younger was catching up on me.

Has anybody used those candles you stick in your ear?

Love reading about big balls of earwax btw... Nearly as satisfying as hearing abot big pus-filles sports...

How do you know whether your ears are blocked or you're just becoming a bit deaf? Thanks "said"! No, there is some wax inside. The nurse could see it but it was too far to reach it and too hard to wash it out. I am sitting with my oil drops in the ear. I have tried to drink some water with my head tilt to the side. It worked a little bit.

I have been using olive oil for one week already and it looks as it helps to dissolve the hardened wax a little bit. Otex did not do the job. My ear also hurts because I have got a benign cyst in the ear canal. It is red and slightly swollen. I knew there was a sebaceous cyst but did not know it would become a furunkul .