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Ear wax removal.

H

Hcanning

pfm Member
I've noticed for a little while now the hearing my left ear has been slightly duller, particularly in the high frequencies. I wasn't sure if it was just "life". Then, in the last week, I've been having problems with impacted ear wax causing me to wake up deaf, and olive oil not really doing much other than agitating it.

So there I was at the weekend, Googling for some more home remedies, when I discovered that Specsavers offer a "microsuction" service to remove ear wax. Safer and more effective than syringing. £55 for both ears. God dammit I could not click the "book an appointment" button fast enough. How have I not heard of this until now?

Fast forward to this afternoon, and GOOD HEAVENS that's the best £55 I have ever spent.

I will spare you a photo of what came out, but imagine two raisins. One from each ear. I kid you not, they were ENORMOUS. I am not exaggerating.

And now everything is super loud and super crispy, even in my right ear, as my ears' automatic gain control gets a hold of the situation :D

Honestly, this is better than any hifi upgrade. I am sitting here listening to my office setup, marveling at how much better it sounds.

Get it done. Seriously.
 
I had mine done about 5 years ago, but at the doctors surgery and using ultrasonic water jet not too dissimilar to that used at the hygienist. I would not recommend this as my inner ear was full of water and made me deaf for nearly 2 days until it drained away. I would not go through that again. The micro suction solution seems a much less invasive procedure for your delicate inner ear...
 
G T Audio said:
I had mine done about 5 years ago, but at the doctors surgery and using ultrasonic water jet not too dissimilar to that used at the hygienist. I would not recommend this as my inner ear was full of water and made me deaf for nearly 2 days until it drained away. I would not go through that again. The micro suction solution seems a much less invasive procedure for your delicate inner ear...
Click to expand...
Yep. Absolutely no need to have them 'syringed' in the traditional way. This was 100% effective and other than the experience being somewhat uncomfortable, it doesn't last long and I feel that I now have the ears of a new-born.


darkstarcrashes said:
Do they guarantee not to suck out your brains too?
Click to expand...
The disclaimer mentioned something about zombification but tbh I ignored that.
 
Hcanning said:
I've noticed for a little while now the hearing my left ear has been slightly duller, particularly in the high frequencies. I wasn't sure if it was just "life". Then, in the last week, I've been having problems with impacted ear wax causing me to wake up deaf, and olive oil not really doing much other than agitating it.

So there I was at the weekend, Googling for some more home remedies, when I discovered that Specsavers offer a "microsuction" service to remove ear wax. Safer and more effective than syringing. £55 for both ears. God dammit I could not click the "book an appointment" button fast enough. How have I not heard of this until now?

Fast forward to this afternoon, and GOOD HEAVENS that's the best £55 I have ever spent.

I will spare you a photo of what came out, but imagine two raisins. One from each ear. I kid you not, they were ENORMOUS. I am not exaggerating.

And now everything is super loud and super crispy, even in my right ear, as my ears' automatic gain control gets a hold of the situation :D

Honestly, this is better than any hifi upgrade. I am sitting here listening to my office setup, marveling at how much better it sounds.

Get it done. Seriously.
Click to expand...

I personally would like to see pictures. maybe in future dont let the wax build up? Maybe vaccuum cleaners need to have an attachment?
 
darkstarcrashes said:
Do they recommend pre-treatment with snake oil to loosen any wax that's there?
Click to expand...

Not snake oil but olive oil yes according to their T&C's.. :cool:

Actually I think that hifi shops should offer this... Come in, improve your ears and then buy some more, better sounding hifi... Any way of getting feet over retailers' thresholds would be a good thing...
 
Hcanning said:
I've noticed for a little while now the hearing my left ear has been slightly duller, particularly in the high frequencies. I wasn't sure if it was just "life". Then, in the last week, I've been having problems with impacted ear wax causing me to wake up deaf, and olive oil not really doing much other than agitating it.

So there I was at the weekend, Googling for some more home remedies, when I discovered that Specsavers offer a "microsuction" service to remove ear wax. Safer and more effective than syringing. £55 for both ears. God dammit I could not click the "book an appointment" button fast enough. How have I not heard of this until now?

Fast forward to this afternoon, and GOOD HEAVENS that's the best £55 I have ever spent.

I will spare you a photo of what came out, but imagine two raisins. One from each ear. I kid you not, they were ENORMOUS. I am not exaggerating.

And now everything is super loud and super crispy, even in my right ear, as my ears' automatic gain control gets a hold of the situation :D

Honestly, this is better than any hifi upgrade. I am sitting here listening to my office setup, marveling at how much better it sounds.

Get it done. Seriously.
Click to expand...

I had a similar 'wow' moment when I got my ears syringed around 8 yrs ago. Coming out of the GP surgery everything sounded like glass shattering into a million pieces, it took a couple of hours for my brain to damp my senses back down (similar to the sensation you get when you remove ear plugs after a gig).

I wouldn't like to have my ears syringed again though as the pressure of the water jet against my ear drum felt like it could rupture it. I've been in 'preventative' mode ever since, periodically dropping some OTC sodium bicarbonate drops in my ears to keep things loose/moving. The bicarb started to irritate and ache after I while so I switched to almond oil drops which I found were gentler.

I've become lazier in recent years and instead of dropping it into my ears I soak a cotton bud with the oil and use that to coat my ear canal after I've cleaned them. (Yes, I know cleaning with cotton buds is considered one of the worst things you can do to your ears but it's a habit I can't break as my ears get intolerably itchy when there's too much wax in them. They also however get intolerably itchy when they're stripped clean of wax, hence the application of almond oil! BTW - I don't do this myself obviously, I get someone else to so they can see exactly where the wax is and remove it whilst avoiding to push any wax further into my ear canal.

I've read about the suction procedure but am worried about the SPL generated by a vacuum that's literally only a few mm's away from your ear drum causing damage to your hearing. I even find the noise generated by an electric shaver uncomfortably loud when doing my sideburns! Mind if I ask which aspect of the procedure you found uncomfortable, was it the noise level or the sensation of a hard object in your ear canal?
 
I just go to one of the "ear, nose and throat doctor" every few weeks. There, this is offered as a usual service, which is offered through the normal health insurance, and therefore for everyone.
Is that different in England?
 
well good news that specsavers offer this service . i notice they say

softening the wax for your appointment
It may take more than one attempt to remove your wax. It’s important that the wax has been softened to make the procedure as comfortable and effective as possible – so to prepare for your appointment, we’d recommend using olive oil to soften it.

A spray known an Earol is ideal for this. Read the instructions leaflet carefully and use for 7-10 days between 2-4 times daily before your appointment. Other sprays or drops are not always suitable and may prevent us from being able to carry out the removal.

Your ears might feel more blocked up after using olive oil and might reduce your hearing – this is because the wax will soak up the oil.

If you wear hearing aids, avoid wearing them after you put olive oil in your ears as you could damage your hearing aids (which wouldn’t be covered by your warranty).

If you experience a foul taste after using olive oil, stop using it as this might be a sign that there is a hole in your eardrum. If this happens, get in touch with your GP and let us know.

For some people, olive oil use might cause some mild discomfort or irritation. If you have any doubts or concerns, just give us a call or speak to your GP or pharmacist.
 
fred sonnen said:
I just go to one of the "ear, nose and throat doctor" every few weeks. There, this is offered as a usual service, which is offered through the normal health insurance, and therefore for everyone.
Is that different in England?
Click to expand...

GP surgeries are generally not doing it at the moment "because Covid".
 
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