Ear wax removal - Hopi ear candles or is there anything else?

I don't feel that I can tolerate ears being syringed at the surgery so wondering whether anyone has experience of anything that's gentle and effective?

Thank you.

[Hennerton]

I have suffered from build up of wax since my TT . Presume to do with being hypo. Last time I had the syringe treatment the nurse told me to buy Audiclean. It is isotonic sea water and you spray it into the ear a few times a week. I think more often if you already have build up. Very natural and easy and I have been using it for a year now and hope it will prevent the syringe again. Fingers crossed on that one! You can order online or in pharmacies. Made by Laboratoire de la Mer.

[Hidden in reply to Hennerton]

I found it to be utterly useless, and ridiculously expensive for sea water!

Wax softening drops, might work it's way out if not too bad if that alone doesn't work, then syringing is still a better option than the alternative I have had, where an ENT surgeon picks it out with forceps and other tools and scoops it out!

This place in Oxford has Youtube videos of their (similar) method of wax removal, youtube.com/user/ox157?feat... I don't know if there are other similar places around the country.

[Hennerton in reply to Hidden]

Hi Picton, I have had the ENT surgeon pick it out (a bit painful) and I have also tried sodium bicarbonate, which blocked my ear completely, so that I then had to put olive oil in for two weeks, before they could syringe it. For me the sea water has been the easiest and nicest to use, two to three times a week as a preventative method. Audiclean is also much cheaper online.

[Hidden]

Thank you Hennerton. I've only had my ears syringed once in my life (over 50 now) so maybe it is down to hypo.

I'll take a look in Boots.

[ejh1]

Hi. There is an active sodium bicarbonate drop that you can get from the chemist. It fizzes and tickles, but is quite gentle. It softens it all up and works quite quickly. I can't remember the brand, but it is an active NaCO2 not the standard (cheaper) one, althought this will also work. My daughter was recommended it by the ENT surgeon before he put her grommets in.

[Hidden in reply to ejh1]

It's called 'Otex'. I swear by it. Medicos who recommend 'a few drops of olive oil' have not had a look at the problem within. Sometimes I feel a pneumatic drill might be more effective ;o). However, my surgery won't syringe any more so I have no other option. It does work. But it might take a couple of weeks. Don't use it every day. The ingredients aren't that 'gentle'.

[It0022]

If your looking for a unmedicated way try a few drops of warm olive oil. It's even recommended by Pharmacists and stated in the BNF

[Fruitandnutcase]

I tried Hopi candles a couple of times - pleasant experience but made absolutely no difference, our surgery recommends using either almond or a light oil or sodium bicarbonate drops to soften wax before syringing, I've also used Cerumol from the chemist, I've tried the Audioclean too but the best for me was always syringing but my surgery was increasingly reluctant to do that.

Over the last year since being treated for Graves I have discovered my ear wax problem seems to have gone - seems strange but is good.

Hope that's of some use.

Liz

[vajra]

Quite a few docs have taken a position that they don't want to syringe ears over here - yet it's by far the simplest and most effective in my own experience. Another legalities driven step away from effective engagement with the patient i guess - they still get the fee if e.g. they tell you to go away and put olive oil in it. Or better still two fees if you then have to come back to get syringed.

It's possible that increased ear wax is associated with hypo and/or immune issues - i certainly never had an issue until i was in that situation when my ears started to plug. This Doc (near the botom) certainly thinks that it can be. drhyman.com/blog/2010/04/20... Another view is that it's associated with not getting enough essential fatty acids.

Could be too though that it's associated with something external - i was using ear plugs to block noise for several years too, and think they possibly 'piston' the wax into the inner ear.

I developed very persistent tinnitus (hissing when my blood pressure is changing) around about the same time, but judging by this piece nobody really knows whether or not it could be linked: tinnitus.org.uk/ear-wax-rem...

ian

[Hidden in reply to vajra]

Thanks Ian. Of course I totally forgot that for 9 months I wore ear plugs every night and only stopped using them a few months ago once I'd moved.

[PinkNinja]

Olive oil drops. My son had wax build-up and we were told to use olive oil drops (you can get them at the chemist) to soften it and go back in a couple of weeks to see if his ears needed syringing. Luckily they didn't It might be worth a try. Even if it doesn't work, syringing will be much easier if the wax has been softened by olive oil.

[jezebel69]

I use hopi candles for the build up of wax in my husbands ears. Its very gentle and we're always amazed at the hard wax that gets removed with so little effort.

[patterf]

I looked in to hopi candels thinking it helped. But I discovered there is a lot of criticism. Apparently the residue it removes is actually just from the candel itself. Also the Hopi tribe never used candling and are a bit miffed about having their name used!!! (See wiki) So I used warmed olive oil instead which helped a bit. Its got better since I was diagnosed hypothyroidism.

[kazzer]

Yes, it is a rarer symptom of hypothyroidsm and prevention with drops is the best way to go. ENT Departments often have a nurse led ear clinic. They use an air suction machine which is much better than the water syringing. Never use hopi candles as a treatment for wax !

[glo42]

I have used the hopi candle treatment a couple of times but feel the relaxation therapy is much more beneficial than removal of ear wax. Our GP surgery is reluctant to syringe ears but recommends using warm olive oil drops.

[ThyroidThora]

Olive Oil BP is good.

[Hidden]

Well, that's me totally baffled!!!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

eh? me too! xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Lol

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry, to explain - earlier I took a look again at the NHS site (HU green box linked to this forum) and was surprised to see 'sensitive to cold' (is it me or was this listed before as a symptom? well it is but...) then clicking on more symptoms leads to 'deafness' too....

anyway, always had painful but now just itchy waxy ears (no syringing or treatment other than Mum's warm olive oil) funny how you just learn to live with it.... J

[helvella Administrator]

The answer might depend on whether you have "dry" or "wet" earwax.

As someone earlier mentioned, the Wiki article has a remarkable amount of information:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwax

Obviously been of interest and concern at least since the first century. Do any other apes have earwax problems?

Rod

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

other?

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Thanks and, yes, plenty of info there.

I do remember regularly cleaning my dog's ears, occasionally she would scratch her ears due to wax present away from the actual eardrum. Very strong odour!

[walesminister]

AS a nurse I have always stayed away from Holistic medicine, however recently I have suffered with lots of stress due to bereavement and illness. After finding a very good therapist for the last 6 months my life has been transformed. I tried Candling recently as I have had a number of bad experiences with the NHS to help with ear issues after a bad facial accident. Hopi candles are relaxing and do effect your ears. After a recent session my hearing improved having to turn down the sound on the TV by 25%.

Using olive oil for me made my ears very sore and did not work.

To help me relax I have a massage session once a month and alternate monthly treatments of reflexology which while being extremely sceptical at first I can honestly say it works and have seen a big improvement in my life, I sleep very well and stay very calm with low pulse rate and BP. Before I had issues with a very high pulse, As I am asthmatic I could not have beta blockers.

The holistic approach of medicine works acupuncture reflexology. I am a very sceptical and a highly trained former health worker and would have run a 100

miles, but listening to friends encouraged me to try it. So no more pills.