[peterpaul057]

i recently went to an ear doctor for water on the ear ,and he cleaned (irigated) both my ears for a blockage ,it was tickelish feeling . afterwards he instruted me to use an ear bulb to flush my ears and then to place 2 to 3 drops of baby oil in my ear and to do this once a week make it easyer to clean and to help water drain out of my ear as i go canoeing about once a month . its an awsome feeling to have freshly cleaned ears it makes everything sound crispy and clear .also ive noticed that bass from my house speakers dont seem as bassy. more tight than bouncy.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I clean daily with Q-Tips.

Despite all the talk about pushing a plug deeper in, you can't push a plug if it isn't there in the first place. I use the shower to irrigate my ears every morning and then use Q-Tips to clean out the loosened wax. Works great, I never get buildups and can still hear a 20kHz tone at 37.

As for the whole "you'll hurt yourself" argument, I think using contact lenses is a far more delicate operation, yet millions do it themselves. Ear cleaning is practiced by other cultures, as well, and is seen is a basic cleaning process. You do have to be careful, but you can safely clean your own ears.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

uncle erik...this might be weird but i just realized that your avatar isnt a storm trooper esque mask, but is instead a dude siting....a revelation

 

[koven]

id liek to see some pics of this wax.. sounds crazy LOL

 

[intoflatlines]

I actually took a pic but I have to find my card reader. I'm not sure if I'll post it though, because it's embarrassing.

 

[islewind]

It's very difficult to use a q-tip to properly remove solidified ear wax inside the ear canal. Sounds like Uncle Erik is on top of things enough to be mostly dealing with still-liquid wax that hasn't built up into chunks and is more easily removed. A number of years ago I had a buildup of impacted wax and the doctor explained that the very shape of a q-tip makes it likely that some wax will get pushed in rather than pulled out. Ear loops are the preferred mechanical method, and that it what a doctor will use in conjuction with flushing to remove wax. They sell plain loops for wax removal, but they are tricky to use on yourself as excessive insertion could damage your eardrum. Better is a version that has a built-in guard, such as the Ototek loop.

Debrox and many similar carbamide peroxide products work well with irrigation, they are just more messy and time consuming than a loop. The main caution in using a guarded loop is to be gentle and not abrade the inside of your ear canal. Here is a roundup of various methods. And remember, wax is usually harmless and works it way out naturally - it's only pushing it in with things like q-tips and IEMS that causes issues.

 

[Qonmus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoflatlines /img/forum/go_quote.gif I actually took a pic but I have to find my card reader. I'm not sure if I'll post it though, because it's embarrassing.

Dude pics.

 

[intoflatlines]

I looked for my card reader and I can't find it..

 

[Get_Zwole]

Yeah i have problems sometimes. Bout once a year i have to get them cleaned out. Most of it was before when i did fabrication jobs contracting i would get small pieces of metal in my ears and they would cause huge clogs. Ive had them pull small marbel size wax out of my ears it was crazy that i could even still hear with some of that **** int here. Its not so bad now that i work indoors though. Still get some build up but not near as bad. When i get them cleaned out the pressure is crazy but not much pain for me.

 

[dongringo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qonmus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dude pics.

Dude!....Pics! or 'DUDE pics' lol

 

[virometal]

If flatlines, can't get you satisfaction, search ear wax on youtube. There are plenty of stomach turning videos uploaded there.

I have gone so far as to try an ear candle, which may I say is a load of B.S. Always had a problem with wax, then one day my doc informed me, you know you have narrow ear canals; never thought of that and have sworn off IEM's ever since.

 

[Dazed&Confused718]

how much does a professional cleaning cost?

 

[Get_Zwole]

I just get it done when im already at the doctor so insurance covers it 25 bucks for me copay.

 

[dishkyun]

drug information | Otix Ear Wax Removal Aid - Carbamide peroxide (Into the ear)

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I clean daily with Q-Tips. Despite all the talk about pushing a plug deeper in, you can't push a plug if it isn't there in the first place. I use the shower to irrigate my ears every morning and then use Q-Tips to clean out the loosened wax. Works great, I never get buildups and can still hear a 20kHz tone at 37. As for the whole "you'll hurt yourself" argument, I think using contact lenses is a far more delicate operation, yet millions do it themselves. Ear cleaning is practiced by other cultures, as well, and is seen is a basic cleaning process. You do have to be careful, but you can safely clean your own ears.

I'll use Q-tips when I'm at home and can clean out my ears regularly enough to keep a wax plug from forming.

I avoid using them when I'm at work though, because the atmosphere up here is so dry that my inner ear canals seem to dry out too, and the affect is intense irritation when I use one, Unfortunately, that means I usually have a nice wax buildup when I get back home (usually after 2-3 weeks) and I get to spend a bit of time trying to clear it up.