Ear syringing

[beaniesteve]

WHen I was 18 (20 years ago ) I had my ears syringed because I was having problems with my hearing. The nurse who did it asked when I last had it done which I thought was weird as I didn't think it was something you have done regularly. A piece of wax the size of a cigarette filter came out and the nurse said I had a huge amount of wax for someone with such small ears.

Anyway - fast forward 20 years and I am feeling a bit cloth-eared. Having to ask people to repeat things etc.

Can I ust go and request an ear Syringe be done? Or do you think I can get my doctor to test my ears to see if it's age related or genetic as my mum now has a hearing aid and her dad was fairly deaf too.

I know at my surgery, you have to see the doctor first and then he suggests syringing. I love having my ears syringed! Weird, I know, but its a lovely feeling and completely mad afterwards when you can hear even the fabric of your clothes moving!

Message withdrawn

I have problems with ear wax and at christmas one ear was completley blocked.
The surgery now has a policy of not syringing straight away, you now have to use oil for 3 weeks to try and get rid of the wax naturally. This didnt work for me and by the time they agreed to syringe I was feeling nauseous and dizzy. When they did the syringing a large piece of wax came out and instantly I could hear even the smallest slightest noise, just like a previous poster said I could hear my clothes moving!
You can get a product from the chemist called earol, which is oil in a pump dispenser so you dont have to mess around with spoons of oil and asking someone to help you put it into your ears, i think it costs less than a fiver.

I am a practice nurse and the Queen of Ear Syringing

We advise putting oil in the ears for at least a week to soften the wax, and sometimes that's enough to help it slide out on it's own. Olive oil is fine, it's easier if you can get hold of a dropper (chemists can sell you one) and warm the oil slightly. (Warm the pot you have some oil in rather than the oil itself though).

Drop a few drops into the canal whilst you are lying on your side, and massage the space in front of the ear where it meets your cheek. Stay on your side for a few minutes to let it work in, then do the other side.

At our surgery you don't need to see the GP, you can go straight to the practice nurse. If you have oiled well, and there are no contraindications then we can syringe there and then.

After syringing if your hearing is still poor then see the GP and ask to be referred for an audiology assessment. Best to get your ears checked first though, as if they are blocked with wax you can't have an audiogram done.

Some people are just waxy souls and produce more than the ear can naturally clear. Using cotton buds is Bad News, as the diameter of the cotton bud is the same as most people's ear canals so it just pushes the wax back in where it impacts against the drum and can't be cleared naturally. Using the phone a lot eg for work, and wearing earphones eg for an iPod can also increase wax impaction.

I would start oiling if I were you and make an appointment with the nurse for syringing.

Thank you everso much for the advice, will try to get hodl of some drops, I know I had to do this before