The Official Head Fi Ear Wax Thread
Aug 7, 2011 at 11:11 AM Post #76 of 104
What a horriffic 3 or 4 days!!
 
So I decided to go to ENT 24 hour emergency when the skin on my face and neck started going numb Lol.
 
When I went outside even listening to birds chirping was sibilant, and I could feel vibrations everywhere, the blocked ear can no longer hear air, but it picks up vibrations like a snake does, for example you turn the tap on in the bathroom and my left hear hears the water gushing, and my right ear hears the pipes in the walls, it's not as interesting as it sounds it's just annoying, I couldn't concentrate on anything for days I just sat in my room, you even lose some sense of balance, if I were to play a sport like soccer I would just have no orientation.  I felt like I was wasting time because I wasn't even listening to my new gear, I listened to some stuff with my left ear only and then my right ear would starting ringing anyway so I just gave up, zombified.
 
On the way to ENT I felt like I had a flu, just weak and unmotivated, I was thinking maybe I had a cold, a blocked ear, and an oncoming ear-infection (never had one so wouldn't know, and haven't had a blocked ear in ~10 years) at the same time.
 
When I get there a 27 yr old Chinese nurse lady examines me and asks me questions, I just say I have a blocked ear and my head is going numb Lol, she tells me to wait for an hour so then I go across the road and get coffee and a sandwich, about 20 mins later they call me and tell me to come back, so I walk across the road (looking twice for trams since I'm half deaf) and then the chinese lady tells me the doctor is ready.
 
So I enter the doctors office and she tells me to sit and there's numerous tubes and advanced apparatuses, she pulls out a thin aluminium nozzle with a 2mm opening, which leads to a long plastic tube that goes into the desk, there's a few different tips and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, I ask her about water spooling and she says that's bad that's putting stuff in your ear, this is taking stuff out.
 
After the proceedure there were no scorpions or spiders found in my ear, just hard-set wax (impossible to clean with a q-tip, or water) my ear canals are now clinically clean and clear as a bell, I don't think I've had such clean ears in my life, within a few minutes the numbness started to go away, and now I'm 100% back to normal! ALL FIXED, I don't even have a cold anymore.
When I left that place everything souded so loud (has normalised now), perfect, and crystal clear, it was like reality had shifted from 16bit / 44kHz -> 32bit / 216kHz. I may as well start exercising and eating vegetables while I'm at it.
 
It's not Etymotics fault, it's just that I tried to achieve a deep fit with the ER-4P and pushed hard wax very far up into my ear canal, I was worried about the health of my ear, why it was ringing, and why I started going numb, but the whole story had a simple and happy ending Awwwwww.
 
 
 
Aug 21, 2011 at 11:44 AM Post #80 of 104
Got my ear cleaned by a doctor today. He said my ears were plugged with wax - even though i don't use the cotton sticks to clean them.
Had a slight infection in my left ear.
I think i am spending too much time with my IEMs lately, so the earwax doesn't dry off and fall out :|
 
Dec 27, 2011 at 12:42 AM Post #81 of 104
So is your hearing improved now on some way? can you hear more cleary? or im missing something here, this is an audiophile forum, and i guess this thread is created to share info about ear wax cleaning and the effect after, but no one seems to talk about :frowning2:
 
I have never cleaned my ears on doctor (professional way) or dunno how you say it, my english is bad and i'm new to this ear wax removal (unusual way) thing, even i clean my ears regulary with this

 
Quote:
Got my ear cleaned by a doctor today. He said my ears were plugged with wax - even though i don't use the cotton sticks to clean them.
Had a slight infection in my left ear.
I think i am spending too much time with my IEMs lately, so the earwax doesn't dry off and fall out :|



 
 
Dec 13, 2012 at 10:32 PM Post #82 of 104
Don't use q tips. It says on the package do not inset into ear and it just compresses earwax. What I do is just take a shower and put some water in my ear, it cleans out well. Does anyone use Debrox by any chance though.
 
Dec 13, 2012 at 11:46 PM Post #83 of 104
When I went to get my ear impressions the audiologist told me they couldn't be taken because of my wax buildup.  I used murine then the rubber bulb to spray water into my ears for a few days.  When I went back I was informed that my ears were very clean but that this process should not be done if it can be avoided.
 
Dec 14, 2012 at 1:24 AM Post #84 of 104
Sweet thread, now I feel like my iems are impacting wax into my ear!  Time to grab the hydrogen peroxide and needleless syringe!
 
Seriously, my ear canals are starting to itch
biggrin.gif

 
Dec 21, 2012 at 1:21 AM Post #86 of 104
I discovered this product:
 

 
 
It works very well, no side effects of any kind.
 
I was introduces to NeilMed by my ENT Dr., I use their nasal rinse system, works wonders.
 
Feb 20, 2014 at 11:03 AM Post #87 of 104
Since this is the official ear wax thread, I thought I'll ask here despite the recent dormancy.. 
biggrin.gif
. I'm not sure if I have a lot of ear wax, but I am definitely not one of those who barely has any earwax. Without prior usage of earwax removal medications like Murine, is it common for impression appointments to be delayed due to excessive earwax? I don't own a car, so heading over to the audiologist is already a little inconvenient.
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 7:54 PM Post #88 of 104
It happens on the semi-regular. The cerumen prevents the impression material from getting a full, true impression, which means the fit is less likely to be completely accurate. A little wax can be dealt with, but some people develop deposits of impacted wax to the point of being problematic. Tough to give a percentage, but at trade shows, I would guess Sensaphonics has to decline to do impressions on 10-20% of the people ordering, due to excess earwax.  Fortunately, there are ways to deal with it in an audiologist's office.
 
(1) See a good audiologist who has worked with IEMs previously, and talk to them before the appointment.
(2) Ask in advance whether they offer earwax removal service. Explain why (need IEMs, long trip, no car), letting them know to leave time should it be necessary. Check price as well.
 
At the Sensaphonics Musicians Hearing Clinic in Chicago, we perform this service for musicians with some regularity. They are on tour and don't have time to mess around. (We've done it on tour buses as well...) It's not something audiologists love doing, but they are definitely the most qualified to do so safely. Remember, audiologists are not just goop-shooters! They are trained medical professionals, and you should avail yourself of their expertise. I also recommend doing a hearing screening as part of your audiology regimen.
 
DIY removal is, in my personal experience, hit-or-miss. Haven't used Murine personally. Tried Debrox with mixed results. Have never seen the NeilMed stuff from the post above. YMMV.
 
Feb 23, 2014 at 7:03 PM Post #89 of 104
  It happens on the semi-regular. The cerumen prevents the impression material from getting a full, true impression, which means the fit is less likely to be completely accurate. A little wax can be dealt with, but some people develop deposits of impacted wax to the point of being problematic. Tough to give a percentage, but at trade shows, I would guess Sensaphonics has to decline to do impressions on 10-20% of the people ordering, due to excess earwax.  Fortunately, there are ways to deal with it in an audiologist's office.
 
(1) See a good audiologist who has worked with IEMs previously, and talk to them before the appointment.
(2) Ask in advance whether they offer earwax removal service. Explain why (need IEMs, long trip, no car), letting them know to leave time should it be necessary. Check price as well.
 
At the Sensaphonics Musicians Hearing Clinic in Chicago, we perform this service for musicians with some regularity. They are on tour and don't have time to mess around. (We've done it on tour buses as well...) It's not something audiologists love doing, but they are definitely the most qualified to do so safely. Remember, audiologists are not just goop-shooters! They are trained medical professionals, and you should avail yourself of their expertise. I also recommend doing a hearing screening as part of your audiology regimen.
 
DIY removal is, in my personal experience, hit-or-miss. Haven't used Murine personally. Tried Debrox with mixed results. Have never seen the NeilMed stuff from the post above. YMMV.

 
Thanks Jack! That was really helpful. I ended up driving to the local CVS and getting the Debrox kit. Nothing big has came out yet, but I'm hoping for something big soon. I've seen some people letting the solution soak overnight; I haven't tried that yet, but I think I'll try that tonight. I believe the solution is okay to be left in the ear for an extended period of time from what I read..
 

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