Doctor wants ears syringed as my hearing is getting worse, this is to rule out any problems with having GCA. If it's just wax, he won't need to make a referral.
My friend on hearing; excuse the pun, that I am having the ears done tomorrow got all huffy puffy saying that her friend has been waiting months to have her ears syringed!! "Not at all fair", she said.
No, it's not fair, it's not fair that we have these horrible diseases to cope with is it!!
I explained the reason for my ears being done quickly so maybe she will get of her high horse now!
Neigh!!!
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Primarose
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Ear wax/GCA confusion!😳 That’s a new one on me, but if one thing being on here has taught me, it’s you can’t seem to rule in or out anything with our illnesses!
Will be interested to read (purposely didn’t write ‘hear’) the outcome!
I was always told not to have my ears syringed as it tends to make you need re-syringing forever. It is better to use softening oil drops or some such. If your doctor recommended it I suppose I would go ahead though.
My first reaction was like Piglette and PMRpro. Have even heard (sorry, puns unavoidable with this subject) of people whose hearing was permanently reduced after syringing. My mother in law was one, she said her hearing was never as good again. A specialist uses a teensy little vacuum cleaner to suction out wax and other debris, loose skin, etc.
But she should be given some advice about softening the wax so it comes out of its own accord, as it's supposed to. I believe a drop or two of olive oil every day is enough.
When I was at university I had my ears syringed and the doctor showed me the wax that came out. It was like a little plug, completely impacted I guess. But I don't remember being told to soften it with oil beforehand. Afterwards I was given drops to use for a few days so the wax didn't kind of rebound and fill the ear canal up again. But this was over fifty years ago!
Ok. I had problems years ago - and it was suggested by either GP or pharmacist (can’t remember who) to warm it a little. Obviously advice is now different - probably for H&S reasons!
It's really important not to make it too hot, that's probably why they say room temp, but you can't keep olive oil in the fridge anyway because it goes hard and you can't pour it.
When I was given that advice it was back last century, when olive oil was probably still only sold in pharmacies for medicinal purposes - and in tiny bottles. I was told to stand the bottle in hot water in a jug just to warm contents before use.
There’s probably someone in the world stupid enough nowadays to heat it in a pan on the cooker top! 😳🤨
Whatever happened to common sense? Answers on a postcard please!
Up to 18 months ago I used to routinely irrigate ears only on patients seen to have canals blocked with wax. It have me the willies. When I was taught originally with an actual syringe I was told to give it good hard flush, harder the better! 😫.
To embark on this procedure the patient had to have put in warmed oil drops twice daily for 14 days. If any part of the eardrum was visible it was not done. Careful history was taken to make sure no contraindications. The lowest water pressure was used in short bursts so keep checking the eardrum had not become exposed. The oil was used to soften wax to prevent a hard pellet being pushed through the eardrum or hard wax stuck to the canal skin or worse, the eardrum, being torn away. Ideally the wax will have been softened enough for it to come out on its own without intervention. We didn’t like to do it more than twice a year on anyone unless there was a good reason because irrigation can cause the ear to produce more wax in response to the irritation and risks infection. I think the risks are underestimated but can be the only option if someone can’t hear and isn’t able to spend months dissolving the plug. Suction was not very accessible and there was only one small clinic in the area, so they only took those with complications.
Ooh, no exceedingly satisfying. Seeing the look on people’s faces when they can hear again and the fascinated horror when they see what has come out 😂. The worst one was when I thought the man had halitosis but it actually 5 cotton bud tips in each infected ear rotting away. 🤢
Just before I got diagnosed with PMR then GCA a few weeks later I had a 'noise' in my ears - or one of them - like a glugging sound - it drove me nuts - like the sound you get after swimming under water. One ear was completely blocked up - I used drops for a few days and then it was syringed. Since then I needed to have my other one done and I did wonder if this had anything to so with GCA. Regardless it does improve hearing and is well worth having it for that alone I reckon.
I have had to have my ears 'Done', a few times. It, turns out, that I have a small benign Growth/Polyp in my right Ear Canal.
Not being 'funny' with you, or your friend, but do you have a letter/appointment card, that you could show him/her? That way (s)he would know, and maybe understand?, the reason for your referral. I only mention it because, some years ago now, I had a similar experience- I was 'Triaged' into a clinic ahead of many others, who had been waiting far longer. In my case, since the Head Doctor/Consultant himself called me in, no-one questioned my 'jumping The Queue'. It's just a thought that maybe, just Maybe, a little Education/Enlightenment may help....Well OK....!
I am aware that 'Some People' just can't, or won't, understand. My only hope, for them, is that it's never THEIR child, needing to be Rushed into 'Resus', never THEIR Great Aunt needing an emergency operation...…! (Did Anyone complain, when the little Girl 'queue jumped', one Saturday night....Well actually NO WE DIDN'T!) I'll end now BEFORE I become, one of the 'Moaners'!
I hope all Goes Well, for you, Primarose- will you let us know how you 'Get On' please.
Thank you for your kind post AndrewT. I only have a text message appointment and I wouldn't be showing that to anyone. My friends friends lives in a different part of the city to me and and as far as I know some smaller surgeries don't do "ears". I'm sure she could afford to go privately if the ears were that bad.
You're quite right, some folk get in a tizz wazz having to wait and perhaps don't understand that it's the medics who know who to treat first not them.
I had tinitus in my right ear at the start of my PMR journey, 3 years ago. I was referred to an audiologist. He looked in my ears, did a "head waggling" test, and then administered some oil to both ears, let me wait 10minutes, then vacuumed out the excess wax. My hearing improved, but the tinnitus is still there. He said the probability was 99% that there was a benign growth causing the problem, they could operate....dig around.....maybe remove.....but likely would make no difference, because then there would be scar tissue. The other 1% was malignant growth that would get bigger, cause more problems and have to be removed. He stated it was nothing to do with PMR. I chose to leave it alone.
Since then, I've just had a couple of ear infections needing prescribed drops to relieve the pain, but nothing more sinister. The tinitus is li able with......worst in the quiet at night.
Sorry to hear that Valnvaughan, you've certainly been through it with your ears.
My doctor said that he wanted my ears irrigated before he made a referral, well I haven't yet noticed any difference in my hearing so maybe that is the next step.
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