Ear blockage due to ear wax

Bumblebee

Bumblebee

Commodore
Hi Doc, and thank you so much for your contributions here.

I am in a place where medical treatment is expensive and not reimbursable. I was using some in ear monitors and pushed ear wax down my ear canal which has blocked my hearing. I tried putting warm water down in there, creating suction with my pinky finger and even carefully used a Qtip...I was able to retrieve some of the wax, but am still pretty much deaf in my right ear still. I am waiting for some supplies which are enroute from home. Ear drops and a suction (syringe) I think. My question is; can there be long term ramifications from leaving it blocked? I am experiencing no discomfort other than trying to follow conversations. Flying has been fine...better in fact because I can turn up the volume in my affected ear.

Or should I pay the fee to alleviate it before further damage can occur?

thanks again.
 
Or should I pay the fee to alleviate it before further damage can occur?
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I'm not a medic, but if I were in your position, I would see one as soon as practical. Your health should be immaterial to you. Take care of it, and it will do the same to you.
 
Buy a pair of nail-clippers with the nailfile/hook swivel attachment. Take a bath and dunk your head to get the wax sufficiently wet. Take the attachment and VERY gingerly push it up your canal (!!!???). Then sort of hook it once you've gotten to the wax. If you're dexetrous and careful, you can pull huge amounts of wax out. Again, be careful, because you can hit your ear drum and the pain is...well, extremely unpleasant. I'm going to guess that our Medical Pros will be 110% against this, but it's worked for me. The key is being VERY slow and careful in the process. I tried all the OTC stuff, but that mostly seems to involve breaking up the wax, which, AFAICT, if you've let it go too long, won't happen. It's a gamble, sure, but it's Free. And it Works. Just take your time and be patient.
 
Gawd a'mighty!

I just learned two things. The first is how fortunate I have been for these many decades, apparently. The second is a new goal to embrace from this day forward: Namely to make it to the end of my life without ever having to hook something in my ear - or any other - canal.

Shudder.
 
But you've clearly been denied the pleasure of flying thousands of miles rocking out to your Ipod earbuds (since you're too lazy or cheap to buy a headset with an input). It was WELL WORTH IT.
 
Bee,
This works for me. 1. Buy some hydrogen peroxide. 2. Buy a blue bulb" made of rubber. While in the shower bring in 2 dixie cups and one with some hydrogen peroxide and water mixed 50/50 less than half the cup. Fill the other cup with your warm shower water. Suck some of the 50/50 solution into the bulb and lay your head sideways and gently squirt the mixture into the top ear and let it fizzle for a minute or 2. While it is fizzing, squirt the mixture back into the original cup and then suck a bulb full of warm water. Then lay your head with ear down and then just flush your ear with the warm water. Use only the pressure of the water from the bulb. Repeat as necessary. This works great for me as I do this about once a month just to keep my ears clean of wax.
Learned from a DR.
George
 
My Flight Surgeon said:
Buy some Debrox drops to soften the wax and use an "ear surynge" to flush the wax with warm water.
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Seconding this. I got scared once when my hearing suddenly went soft in one ear. A carbamide peroxide wash (Debrox, Murine, etc.) sold at the drug store solved my problem. I opted to not use the syringe/bulb and instead laid my head on the affected side and let gravity do the work for a series of applications over a day. It was awesome, I should have taken pictures.

Since then I've also been told I keep my ears too clean and that some wax should be present.
 
Bumblebee said:
thanks
I believe there is some in the mail right now.
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Yup! Feel better bro.

Here, I just passed the world record for most number of vomits in a 5 minute period! :)

It's like I'm a pregnant royal or something.
 
thanks bros...it doesn't hurt, I do hear ringing from time to time and I can hear with my headset if I turn the right up all the way and the left down.

Doug, are you craving ice cream and pickles?
YOU feel better buddy :)
 
Why Ear Candling Is Not a Good Idea​

Lisa Roazen, M.D.​

"Ear candling," also known as auricular candling or coning, refers to various procedures that involve placing a cone-shaped device in the ear canal and supposedly extracting earwax and other impurities with the help of smoke or a burning wick. The origins of candling are obscure. Ancient Tibet, China, Egypt, the pre-Columbian Americas, and even the mythical city of Atlantis are cited as possible contributors. The procedures supposedly create a low-level vacuum that draws wax and other debris out of the ear canal. Some proponents even claim that impurities are removed from the inner ear, the facial sinuses, or even the brain itself, all of which are somehow connected to the canal.

uh, yeah...no.
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html
 
WaxVac.JPG

I've had ear problems for years. Be careful what ever you do. The bulb is best, but I did see this on TV last night. I had problems flying with a plugged ear, but I don't have pressurization.
 
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