Best way to keep ears clean?

[E65Ross]

For 9 days I had a completely blocked left ear and so today I went to an audiologist and got them irrigated; I was going to just get the left done but upon inspection he actually said the right ear was even worse! I just said I'll see how I feel after having the left done.....well....immediately it became apparent my right ear was a lot quieter than my left once it had been cleared so did the right ear too and the difference in my hearing is absolutely incredible. I never thought I had a problem, but the clarity of noises is just amazing....I want to keep them clean now!

I generally sleep with earplugs in, so that's a habit I'm going to try to stop but is there anything I can specifically do to keep them building up too much wax (clearly, some wax is healthy and needed!). When you search online for ways to clean your ears it's just mainly tips for when you have blocked ears, rather than general maintenance, as such.

I'm only 28, FWIW.

Cheers

[Saleen836]

This should help...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoTDhqW8KRQ

[WinstonWolf]

E65Ross said:

For 9 days I had a completely blocked left ear and so today I went to an audiologist and got them irrigated; I was going to just get the left done but upon inspection he actually said the right ear was even worse! I just said I'll see how I feel after having the left done.....well....immediately it became apparent my right ear was a lot quieter than my left once it had been cleared so did the right ear too and the difference in my hearing is absolutely incredible. I never thought I had a problem, but the clarity of noises is just amazing....I want to keep them clean now!

I generally sleep with earplugs in, so that's a habit I'm going to try to stop but is there anything I can specifically do to keep them building up too much wax (clearly, some wax is healthy and needed!). When you search online for ways to clean your ears it's just mainly tips for when you have blocked ears, rather than general maintenance, as such.

I'm only 28, FWIW.

Cheers

Having had phenomenal problems with my ears I'd let the pro's do it.

[Foliage]

Ear spoons

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SODIAL-Silver-Metal-Curet...

[E65Ross]

WinstonWolf said:

E65Ross said:

For 9 days I had a completely blocked left ear and so today I went to an audiologist and got them irrigated; I was going to just get the left done but upon inspection he actually said the right ear was even worse! I just said I'll see how I feel after having the left done.....well....immediately it became apparent my right ear was a lot quieter than my left once it had been cleared so did the right ear too and the difference in my hearing is absolutely incredible. I never thought I had a problem, but the clarity of noises is just amazing....I want to keep them clean now!

I generally sleep with earplugs in, so that's a habit I'm going to try to stop but is there anything I can specifically do to keep them building up too much wax (clearly, some wax is healthy and needed!). When you search online for ways to clean your ears it's just mainly tips for when you have blocked ears, rather than general maintenance, as such.

I'm only 28, FWIW.

Cheers

Having had phenomenal problems with my ears I'd let the pro's do it.

This is my inclination. I'm wary about putting anything in my ears, that's for sure. I called the audiologist up and asked and he said to get some olive oil spray (seems to distribute better than the drops, I'm guessing) and to use those 2x/month or so to keep the wax soft so it's easier for the ear to clean itself. I'll probably do that as he said, and perhaps go back annually to get them irrigated. I simply cannot believe the difference....Feels great

[WinstonWolf]

E65Ross said:

WinstonWolf said:

E65Ross said:

For 9 days I had a completely blocked left ear and so today I went to an audiologist and got them irrigated; I was going to just get the left done but upon inspection he actually said the right ear was even worse! I just said I'll see how I feel after having the left done.....well....immediately it became apparent my right ear was a lot quieter than my left once it had been cleared so did the right ear too and the difference in my hearing is absolutely incredible. I never thought I had a problem, but the clarity of noises is just amazing....I want to keep them clean now!

I generally sleep with earplugs in, so that's a habit I'm going to try to stop but is there anything I can specifically do to keep them building up too much wax (clearly, some wax is healthy and needed!). When you search online for ways to clean your ears it's just mainly tips for when you have blocked ears, rather than general maintenance, as such.

I'm only 28, FWIW.

Cheers

Having had phenomenal problems with my ears I'd let the pro's do it.

This is my inclination. I'm wary about putting anything in my ears, that's for sure. I called the audiologist up and asked and he said to get some olive oil spray (seems to distribute better than the drops, I'm guessing) and to use those 2x/month or so to keep the wax soft so it's easier for the ear to clean itself. I'll probably do that as he said, and perhaps go back annually to get them irrigated. I simply cannot believe the difference....Feels great

Git, my blocked ear turned out to be a tumour The upside is the pro's found it and operated. I only hear in mono now, but at least it was found before it did something much worse...

[E65Ross]

WinstonWolf said:

Git, my blocked ear turned out to be a tumour The upside is the pro's found it and operated. I only hear in mono now, but at least it was found before it did something much worse...

Ha, don't worry, I've had my own tumour issues too.....one inside my head! Gone now though thanks to some magical people.

[WinstonWolf]

E65Ross said:

WinstonWolf said:

Git, my blocked ear turned out to be a tumour The upside is the pro's found it and operated. I only hear in mono now, but at least it was found before it did something much worse...

Ha, don't worry, I've had my own tumour issues too.....one inside my head! Gone now though thanks to some magical people.

Ah, that was you, I remember that thread. Glad it's all sorted now

[E65Ross]

That was me, indeed. Cheers

[oilbethere]

The ginger one mentioned this on radio 2 and suggested using olive oil as recommended by audiologists.

[E65Ross]

I don't suppose they mentioned how often? I'm thinking once every week or so before bed?

I use earphones quit regularly which I know isn't going to help! I will try to stop sleeping with earplugs in unless I really have to.

Cheers

[fourfoldroot]

Going swimming twice a week works for me. Ears have to be clean in the first place or the water softens the wax and it all sludges down and blocks them up completely. I used to have my ears syringed every couple of years but since swimming regularly haven't needed it for 15 years or so.

[RichB]

Well for a start quit the earplugs that just bungs them up. I get mine syringed (is that the old fashioned word for irrigated?) at my surgery each year by the local nurse (is that the old fashioned word for audiologist?) seems to help.

Problem for me is the inner tubes (eustachian tubes) get blocked and I've not yet discovered the solution for that... anyone?

[E65Ross]

RichB said:

Well for a start quit the earplugs that just bungs them up. I get mine syringed (is that the old fashioned word for irrigated?) at my surgery each year by the local nurse (is that the old fashioned word for audiologist?) seems to help.

Problem for me is the inner tubes (eustachian tubes) get blocked and I've not yet discovered the solution for that... anyone?

Syringing is not the same as irrigation. A GP surgery won't have the right machine for irrigation. May get the same results, or similar, but irrigation is generally a fair bit safer.

Not sure about the latter, I'm afraid.

[RichB]

E65Ross said:

Syringing is not the same as irrigation. A GP surgery won't have the right machine for irrigation. May get the same results, or similar, but irrigation is generally a fair bit safer.

As I go every year I'm genuinely interested. My nurse uses a pulsating, sonic water type thing that she can turn up or down as necessary. I just call it syringing because that's what it was when I was a kid, a bloody great syringe full of hot water! Is what I get now irrigation?

Edited by RichB on Saturday 21st October 20:53

[motco]

Syringing used to be just that - warm water squirted in to your ears with a small diameter nozzle (too small to block the ear canal) on a syringe. Nowadays a pulsed jet of water is squirted in from an electrical device. Presumably the pulses are small enough not to damage the tympanic membrane even if the canal is closed.

[Captain Smerc]

My GP surgery has the right machine , the nurse did a marvellous job on my over ear-budded lug holes !
I must STOP rooting around in them .

[E65Ross]

RichB said:

E65Ross said:

Syringing is not the same as irrigation. A GP surgery won't have the right machine for irrigation. May get the same results, or similar, but irrigation is generally a fair bit safer.

As I go every year I'm genuinely interested. My nurse uses a pulsating, sonic water type thing that she can turn up or down as necessary. I just call it syringing because that's what it was when I was a kid, a bloody great syringe full of hot water! Is what I get now irrigation?

Edited by RichB on Saturday 21st October 20:53

That is indeed irrigation. The fact you said when you were a kid it was actually a syringe....and now it's not....gives you the clue that it isn't syringing, as you questioned in your other post

[RichB]

Indeed Now to get those eustachian tubes of mine cleared and promise you'll give up those ear plugs.

[E65Ross]

Definitely won't be sleeping with earplugs in any more! I'm even apprehensive using earphones now, too

I do a lot of cycling and usually wear earphones (on a quiet volume, so I can still hear traffic) and cycle around 9+ hours a week.....so my ears had either earphones in or earplugs in for a lot of time!