Ear wax: if you put warm olive oil in your ear, do you...

[Fauve]

...still have to go and have it syringed; or will the clogged up wax drizzle elegantly out of your ear in its own good time (assuming you put the olive oil in over at least three days)?

You still have to have it syringed IME, Fauve - the nurses in our Treatment Room won't even attempt to syringe until you've oiled your ear for at least 3 days, because the wax is too hard and compacted for the water to break it up.

If you plug the oil in with cotton wool it won't dribble out (but you will look less than stylish )

Hur hur, I'm used to that, JanH. Thanks, I spose I'll have to go then. I have been pouring it in - not too hot - most religiously.

I love having oil put in my ears.

alternatively you can use

\link{http://www.earcandlesuk.com/\these}

to get rid of the wax.

Our surgery won't syringe your ears until you've been putting oil in for 2 weeks! AND the nurse told me the other week under no circumstances to put cotton wool in my ear afterwards because it just soaks up all the oil and makes it a waste of time!

[science hat on]
Ear candles don't get rid of ear wax
In fact they don't do anything except waste your money and make your ear a bit warm.
Previous thread on this \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=138&threadid=157592#3331436\here}, experiment showing what actually happens during ear candling \link{http://www.abundanthealth.com/art-ec.html#exp\here}.

ear candles are a waste of time imo.
warm some olive oil up top body temp, and use a dropper to place some in the ear, then pref lie with the opposite ear down for ten mins, this allows the oil to run into the ear., its a good idea to put some in at bedtime too.

I'm not lying down for 10 mins, I know I should. I'm just walking around the kitchen with my head on one side, looking really weird.

Actually last time I went, the nurse said I should pour warm oil in my ears once a week to keep the wax at bay. Needless to say I haven't done it once.

The oil makes it just gungey so it can be syringed out in a repulsive yet curiously satisfying manner.

get Otex OTC

BIBIC recommended the ear candles to us, but DS2's glue ear cleared by itself.

Yes, one of the nurses at our practice shows you the result in a lugubrious way. Rather like being shown a potty after a productive session. Not really to my taste, I still wish it would just drizzle out.