[edstrelow]

I woke up this morning feeling dizzy with the world spinning around me. Part of this is an inner ear disorder resulting from an old head injury, but when it recurs in recent years it usually means a sinus infection and an earwax build-up. Cleaning the ears using a non-prescription cleaning solution and small syringe usually clears up the symptoms. As an important fringe benefit, sound now clears up, a bit like looking through a window after it has just been cleaned.

I know I'm not the first to raise this topic but I am always surpised after such cleaning how much better things sound, including stereo equipment and especially headphones. Particularly if one channel sounds consistently different than another, one ear may be partially blocked.

Some people clean the contacts of their equipment every few weeks, but never consider their own perosnal equipment?

So how many tin ears out there are just dirty ears?

 

[PeeeMeS]

Your genetics also determine the *type* of earwax you have.

I'm Chinese so I was born with solid earwax. I use a small "spoon" to get earwax out. I do this weekly. Combined with Q-Tips after showering, it can really add transparency to your system

 

[TheMarchingMule]

^ I don't know, but I think I am speaking for the vast majority here in that what you confessed is just...gross!

 

[KT88]

I actually came up to the point of cleaning my ears too much. It did hurt a bit, and always made me feel as if my ears are blocked.
I didn't really know it was clean and asked my father (a doctor) if he could help me clean my ears with H2O2 (cant remmember how its called in english

). Anyway, he tries and nothing came out. He told me not to touch my ears for atleast a week, and surprisingly, I can now hear better. So, pay attention you dont clean too much, it hurts and does no good!

 

[EvilDwarf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KT88 I actually came up to the point of cleaning my ears too much. It did hurt a bit, and always made me feel as if my ears are blocked. I didn't really know it was clean and asked my father (a doctor) if he could help me clean my ears with H2O2 (cant remmember how its called in english ). Anyway, he tries and nothing came out. He told me not to touch my ears for atleast a week, and surprisingly, I can now hear better. So, pay attention you dont clean too much, it hurts and does no good!

Trying to clean your ears with earsticks for example can easily result in jammed earwax, if you accidently push inwards. Or did you use a siphoning technique?

 

[Tachikoma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KT88 I actually came up to the point of cleaning my ears too much. It did hurt a bit, and always made me feel as if my ears are blocked. I didn't really know it was clean and asked my father (a doctor) if he could help me clean my ears with H2O2 (cant remmember how its called in english ). Anyway, he tries and nothing came out. He told me not to touch my ears for atleast a week, and surprisingly, I can now hear better. So, pay attention you dont clean too much, it hurts and does no good!

H2O2 = Hydrogen Peroxide. I didn't know the earwax was supposed to "come out" with the H2O2, thought it only served to "soften" the wax a bit. (yeah I'm chinese, so I have hard wax too, though I don't know exactly how much.)

 

[ken36]

Ear syringe with tap water. Then a solution of 90% alcohol/10% white vinegar. I've used this for 53 years. It works.

 

[solvexyz]

I have few docotors kept telling me that I should not deliberately clean it, and it will come out by itself if it is too much, or when I feel itchy. I am a chinese by the way.

 

[ghopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtheisticFreedom ^ I don't know, but I think I am speaking for the vast majority here in that what you confessed is just...gross!

it's not gross for me, i'm chinese you see. you probably have an image of a chinaman with hyphens for eyes shoving a grapefruit spoon into his ears. it's actually just a thin little metal stick with a flattened end that's used for scraping the ear canals clean. it's good for ear itches too.

 

[JJ15k]

Oh, I should get something like that for itches on long travels...

 

[zancxia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghopper it's not gross for me, i'm chinese you see. you probably have an image of a chinaman with hyphens for eyes shoving a grapefruit spoon into his ears. it's actually just a thin little metal stick with a flattened end that's used for scraping the ear canals clean. it's good for ear itches too.

I think it sounds gross because PeeeMeS was talking about "solid earwax" and 'spoons.' Earwax alone is kind of icky... describing its texture and extraction methods is just... ehhhh

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zancxia I think it sounds gross because PeeeMeS was talking about "solid earwax" and 'spoons.' Earwax alone is kind of icky... describing its texture and extraction methods is just... ehhhh

All I can say is... glad we don't hear with our noses....

 

[RichardCory]

Does anyone else not produce any earwax? I used to clean my ears often back in my grade school days, and I would always be able to extract a good amount of wax; but for the past few years, I haven't been producing any at all. I'll probably use a cleaning stick or q-tip once a month just to see if I can get anything out, but there is never any wax in there anymore. I'm assuming this is abnormal, but it's not a problem I mind having.

 

[bochup]

anyone ever consider using those ear candles, or whatever you call it?

They are suppose to vacuum suck those earwax out of your ears...

 

[K2Grey]

They're considered unsafe and not effective according to reports.