Ear Wax
Jul 15, 2002 at 4:25 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14

Magic77

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Have any of you people had problems with Ear Wax? I assume that us headphone listeners would notice this more often than non-headphone listeners.

The reason why I ask is; I've noticed the last couple of days when I'm listening with headphones, (and this is with different headphones and different amps) that the soundstage seems to be more directed to my left ear with any recording. It dosen't feel clogged, but there is definitely a difference. I have my amps connected directly from CD players, so I don't use any balance controls.

It may possibly be some water that got in my ear which has happened before, but maybe it's ear wax?

Anyone else?
 
Jul 15, 2002 at 4:52 PM Post #2 of 14
I'm particularly worried about this since I use Etys -- has anyone had Ety specific problems?

Usually earwax works it way out my itself, but there are things you can do to help it a long. Once every two weeks (or once a month), you can put mineral oil in your ears and stick cotton balls in them to seal it in and sleep that way. This loosens the wax and helps it come out -- it's a good perventatiev measure.
 
Jul 15, 2002 at 5:21 PM Post #3 of 14
There have been several long threads on this subject and different ways to clean your ears. One important thing it is not wise to go digging around with a Q-tip. You may uproot the tiny hairs that are esential for hearing.

There are commercial products as well as common ones like mineral oil and hydrogen peroxide that also work. A trip to the doctor may also be in order. They have the tools for proper inspection and cleaning if necessary.
 
Jul 15, 2002 at 7:33 PM Post #4 of 14
You know, I was *just* thinking that there isn't enough talk about ear wax anymore.
 
Jul 15, 2002 at 7:46 PM Post #5 of 14
It wouldn't surprise me one bit if most of us have considerable buildup of wax lodged way in there. I'm pretty certain i got some nasty wax buildup way deep in my left ear.
 
Jul 16, 2002 at 5:23 AM Post #6 of 14
I'm thinking about giving a visit to a doctor to do this ear washing thing (they just pump warm water directly into your ear). Remember doing that a year ago and that was the best tweak I've ever done. Improvement in clarity of hearing was immediate and *amazing*. Hm, I should actually read up on these threads around here about the ways to do that myself... Normal hand-based methods are just not capable of that sort of deep cleaning
smily_headphones1.gif
.
 
Jul 16, 2002 at 12:51 PM Post #7 of 14
I had one of those several years back. For the next couple days I went around thinking "dear god, I've been half deaf!" It is certainly an abraisive process, but it might be a good thing to do and then follow up with frequent mineral oil treatments (that's what the doc told me).


Quote:

Originally posted by zzz
I'm thinking about giving a visit to a doctor to do this ear washing thing (they just pump warm water directly into your ear). Remember doing that a year ago and that was the best tweak I've ever done. Improvement in clarity of hearing was immediate and *amazing*. Hm, I should actually read up on these threads around here about the ways to do that myself... Normal hand-based methods are just not capable of that sort of deep cleaning
smily_headphones1.gif
.


 
Jul 20, 2002 at 3:52 PM Post #8 of 14
Once, when I went to my doctor for ear wax removal, he told me not to waste my money by coming to him. He told me about commercial non-prescription solutions sold in drug stores that I can use by myself to remove ear wax. I've been doing so for years, and it works great. One such product is Flents Ear Drops, Wax Removal Aid. There are lots of other such products in appropriate sections of every drug store. Just ask the pharmacist to point you to this section of their phamacy. The procedure for using these products is to place several drops (I use 10) of the product into the ear to be cleaned, and keep the solution in your ear (by tilting your head) for several minutes (I use 5 minutes). Then, using a rubber bulb (sold separately, or included with ear drops) squirt warm water into your ear (I do this a couple of times). In any case, be sure to read and follow the directions on the package. All of these commercial ear cleaning products work wonderfully, and have not harmed my ears.
 
Jul 20, 2002 at 7:42 PM Post #9 of 14
I have had very little problem with ear wax since I changed to a different brand. I now use only Turtle EarWax. It costs a little more but the shine is incredible.
 
Jul 20, 2002 at 9:08 PM Post #10 of 14
LOL, good post.

Hey, if any of you guys want to try my ear wax, I can send you some of my used etys filters and silicone tips. I would appreciate if you send me yours to see whether it approves soundstage, etc.
 
Jul 20, 2002 at 10:08 PM Post #11 of 14
Quote:

One important thing it is not wise to go digging around with a Q-tip. You may uproot the tiny hairs that are esential for hearing.


Hold up, remember that your hair cells are in your inner ear-that is, the area inside your ear beyond your eardrum. So, I don't think you can uproot them by probing around with a q-tip unless you tear it though your eardrum. So, go ahead and put big long things in your ears.
 
Jul 20, 2002 at 10:17 PM Post #12 of 14
anyways back to serious talk....

are any of these drug store products painful or cause a burning sensation?

i dont have ear wax in my imediate ear canal...but i think i have some directly in front of my ear drum area...as i cant see or feel the ear wax in the canal, but my hearing seems wierd sometimes...
 
Jul 20, 2002 at 11:29 PM Post #13 of 14
Quote:

Originally posted by jlo mein
anyways back to serious talk....

are any of these drug store products painful or cause a burning sensation?

i dont have ear wax in my imediate ear canal...but i think i have some directly in front of my ear drum area...as i cant see or feel the ear wax in the canal, but my hearing seems wierd sometimes...


Not neccessarily painful, but some relative discomfort...you might find yourself wincing a few times when your squirting that warm water in to break up the wax buildup. My brother took over an hour to shake loose all the wax that built up over the years....of course, he was extremely happy with the result, his hearing was returned to perfect.
 
Jul 21, 2002 at 4:15 PM Post #14 of 14
jlo - no pain or discomfort. Try it, you may like it.
gloco - use of a drug store product like the one that I mentioned above would have done the job in 5 minutes instead of an hour. It dissolves wax buildup in a few minutes, and you wash the mess out in a couple of seconds. Just follow the directions of these products.
 

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