Cleaning Ears

[Hev]

What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?

Did a search on google and found mostly animal care...
I may eat like a dog, but I sure don't have an ear like one (wish i did
though, would be helpful for audio)

-Hev

[flint]

I go to a Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and get my ears cleaned regularly. I
used to do it every 6 months, but now that I don't make a living off my ears
I go once a year.

I've tried all the over-the-counter remedies and they mostly just irritated
my ear canals which resulted in an increase in wax production. The doctor
gets it all and I always hear better immediately.


- FLINT

"Hev" > wrote in message
...
> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?
>
> Did a search on google and found mostly animal care...
> I may eat like a dog, but I sure don't have an ear like one (wish i did
> though, would be helpful for audio)
>
> -Hev
>
>

[William Sommerwerck]

Regular cleaning (once a week or so) with cotton swab dampened with warm water
works very well. I've been doing for over 50 years with no problems.

I especially like it when you dig out a huge chunk of reddish-brown wax...

[Blind Joni]

>I go to a Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and get my ears cleaned regularly. I
>used to do it every 6 months, but now that I don't make a living off my ears
>I go once a year.

I have an appointment in half an hour..can't wait!!


John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

[Arjan P]

Hev wrote:
> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?

My doctor always tells me to leave the ears and their self cleaning ability
alone. Nothing from outside is needed to help the ears clean themselves,
unless you have extreme wax production for some reason. What is important
though, is to flush (no high pressures!) with tap water after swimming
(especially in open water) or surfing etc., and make sure the ears can dry
after that. Lots of bacteria in open water, and they like a moist and warm
environment like an ear canal.

> Did a search on google and found mostly animal care... I may eat like a
> dog, but I sure don't have an ear like one (wish i did though, would be
> helpful for audio)

Only for dog audio, I would assume.. :-)

Luck, Arjan

--
----Real email: news then at then soundbyte then dot then nl----

[Pooh Bear]

Hev wrote:

> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?

I use 'Q-Tips' or Johnson's baby whatsits etc.

I happen to have very oily / waxy ears and I clean them daily.

They do warn about inserting it into the ear canal - quite rightly. Be
*very* careful.

Feels so much better after !

I guess a warm water 'syringing' would do much the same.


Graham

[flint]

Let us know if it makes a difference.

While you are there, get advice on maintenance.

- FLINT


"Blind Joni" > wrote in message
...
> >I go to a Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and get my ears cleaned regularly.
I
> >used to do it every 6 months, but now that I don't make a living off my
ears
> >I go once a year.
>
> I have an appointment in half an hour..can't wait!!
>
>
> John A. Chiara
> SOS Recording Studio
> Live Sound Inc.
> Albany, NY
> www.sosrecording.net
> 518-449-1637

[William Sommerwerck]

> My doctor always tells me to leave the ears and their
> self-cleaning ability alone. Nothing from outside is
> needed to help the ears clean themselves, unless you
> have extreme wax production for some reason.

Find a new doctor.

Ear wax tends to dry and fall out. But it never comes out completely. If you
want to hear well, you need to clean your ears occasionally.

About 30 years ago, High Fidelity magazine sent its staff to a doctor and found
that most of its employees had badly clogged ears. Most were _so_ badly clogged
that it had a huge effect on their ability to hear high frequencies.

[William Sommerwerck]

>> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?

> I use 'Q-Tips' or Johnson's baby whatsits etc.

If you clean your ears regularly, the wax will never build up to a point where
attempts to remove it do more harm than good.

[NJD]

In article >,
says...
> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?
>
> Did a search on google and found mostly animal care...
> I may eat like a dog, but I sure don't have an ear like one (wish i did
> though, would be helpful for audio)

The best way is to have an ear doctor clean them.

If you have a problem with wax build up, and some people do, you can buy
an ear cleaning kit at a good pharmacy. This includes ear was softener
and a syringe. You put the ear drops in your ear. They dissolve the
excess wax, and then you gently rinse out the ear canal with luke-warm
water from the syringe.

Technically, you're never supposed to use things like cue tips, though
an awful lot of people do with no problems. Just don't get anywhere
near the ear drum with one of those.

--Nick

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

"Arjan P" > wrote in message ...

> Hev wrote:
> > What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?

> My doctor always tells me to leave the ears and their self cleaning ability
> alone. Nothing from outside is needed to help the ears clean themselves,
> unless you have extreme wax production for some reason. What is important
> though, is to flush (no high pressures!) with tap water after swimming
> (especially in open water) or surfing etc., and make sure the ears can dry
> after that. Lots of bacteria in open water, and they like a moist and warm
> environment like an ear canal.


I was raised the same....

Never put anything in your ears unless you have developed a medical problem.

Every so often I will take a bath instead of a shower, and will lay back in the tub
and let the water enter each ear, deep enough to give you the shivers.... 6 to 8
times repetitively for each ear, draining immediately. Only once in my life (and I
am 50), after feeling like there was water stuck in my ear canal, did I poke at it
with a cotton swab - about 4 years ago. It was a couple of weeks before the pain
and clogged feeling went away. I thought I had given myself an infection of some
sort, but after talking with my regular doctor, he surmised that I had impacted
(compacted?) some wax and that it would clear itself naturally. It did.

I would advise not sticking things in one's ears any further than a finger tip will pass.

YMMV - I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on television.

--
David Morgan (MAMS)
http://www.m-a-m-s.com
http://www.artisan-recordingstudio.com

[Scott Chapin]

"Hev" > wrote in message
...
> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?
>
> Did a search on google and found mostly animal care...
> I may eat like a dog, but I sure don't have an ear like one (wish i did
> though, would be helpful for audio)
>
> -Hev
>
>
I frequently use a syringe to clean my ears. I fill the sink with luke warm
water to fill the syringe with and GENTLY squeeze it. Two or three flushes
does the trick, if you do it fairly frequently.

Scott Chapin

[Logan Shaw]

Hev wrote:

> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?
>
> Did a search on google and found mostly animal care...

I've tried Debrox (see http://www.debrox.com/ ) and it seems
to work pretty well.

I got motivated to try it after a family member had a nasty
incident with ear wax buildup. Seems it can build up to
the point where it closes off completely. Then it starts
to harden and it becomes very difficult to remove.

She went to her regular doctor, who proceeded to stick a metal
instrument in there and press haaaaard trying to yank out it,
causing excruciating pain. After she finally got a referral
to a specialist, she found out the pain was caused by the other
doctor pressing directly on a nerve. Anyway, a month after
the earaches and headaches started, the specialist was finally
able to remove the hardened wax, along with some of the skin
it had bonded to. (It's all better now, thankfully.)

Now that I have grossed you out, back to the point. I, being
very motivated, got some Debrox and tried it out. I makes a
nice "Rice Krispies" sort of foaming noise as it works on the
wax, and this lasts for something like 15 minutes. It certainly
seemed to be doing something. I couldn't tell that there was
a huge difference, but then I wasn't sure there was a huge
problem to begin with...

- Logan

[Ricky W. Hunt]

"William Sommerwerck" > wrote in message
...
> >> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?
>
> > I use 'Q-Tips' or Johnson's baby whatsits etc.
>
> If you clean your ears regularly, the wax will never build up to a point
where
> attempts to remove it do more harm than good.
>

Just a caveat. If you are going to do this regularly you might have to keep
doing it. Meaning, wax production is natural and done for a reason.
Constantly removing it might cause your body to "ramp up" wax production and
if you stop you might get a huge buildup pretty quick. I do also subscribe
to the theory that MP3's and cheap speakers in general cause the ears to
increase wax production too (as protection).

[William Sommerwerck]

> Technically, you're never supposed to use things like cue tips...

Why would you want to use a pool stick to clean your ears?

[William Sommerwerck]

> Only once in my life (and I am 50), after feeling like there
> was water stuck in my ear canal, did I poke at it with a
> cotton swab -- about 4 years ago. It was a couple of weeks
> before the pain and clogged feeling went away. I thought I
> had given myself an infection of some sort, but after talking
> with my regular doctor, he surmised that I had impacted
> (compacted?) some wax and that it would clear itself naturally.
> It did.

Which was exactly my point. If you clean your ears regularly, this won't happen.

[Bob Cain]

Blind Joni wrote:

>>I go to a Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and get my ears cleaned regularly. I
>>used to do it every 6 months, but now that I don't make a living off my ears
>>I go once a year.
>
>
> I have an appointment in half an hour..can't wait!!

Please give us a before and after account.


Bob
--

"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
simpler."

A. Einstein

[Bob Cain]

William Sommerwerck wrote:

> If you clean your ears regularly, the wax will never build up to a point where
> attempts to remove it do more harm than good.
>

But how do you keep bugs out of your ears? That's what its for.


Bob
--

"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
simpler."

A. Einstein

[Bob Cain]

Scott Chapin wrote:

>
> I frequently use a syringe to clean my ears. I fill the sink with luke warm
> water to fill the syringe with and GENTLY squeeze it. Two or three flushes
> does the trick, if you do it fairly frequently.

Curious how you know that.


Bob
--

"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
simpler."

A. Einstein

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

"Bob Cain" > wrote in message ...

> Blind Joni wrote:
>
> >>I go to a Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and get my ears cleaned regularly. I
> >>used to do it every 6 months, but now that I don't make a living off my ears
> >>I go once a year.


> > I have an appointment in half an hour..can't wait!!

> Please give us a before and after account.
>
>
> Bob


W H A T ???

[hank alrich]

Bob Cain wrote:

> William Sommerwerck wrote:

> > If you clean your ears regularly, the wax will never build up to a point
> > where attempts to remove it do more harm than good.

> But how do you keep bugs out of your ears? That's what its for.

Fill your ears with software... wait, that's not gonna work...

--
ha

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

"hank alrich" > wrote in message ...
> Bob Cain wrote:
>
> > William Sommerwerck wrote:
>
> > > If you clean your ears regularly, the wax will never build up to a point
> > > where attempts to remove it do more harm than good.
>
> > But how do you keep bugs out of your ears? That's what its for.
>
> Fill your ears with software... wait, that's not gonna work...


You been hangin' in the Courtney Love thread too long.

[Peter Larsen]

Pooh Bear wrote:

> I happen to have very oily / waxy ears and I clean them daily.

Effect and cause?

Excessive noise exposure is however another known cause of increased
earwax production. Your ear canal responds to the horde of q-tip shaped
insects by producing more wax so as to be able to push them out.

> I guess a warm water 'syringing' would do much the same.

There is a cleaning set available, with rubber "bottle" and a cleaning
agent, the brand name I know is Remo-Wax. It is in fact very helpful if
a wax problem exists. First consult an ENT for instructions and whether
it just is wax or whether there is some other cause of not being able to
hear, imo you should not use the cleaning agent too frequently, and
mostly just resort to warm water.

Clycerin (does that word exist in english?) was the cleaning agent used
50 years ago, it dissolves the ear wax but does not degrease, and it can
still be a good first step in case of a severe wax blockage. It is also
the carrier medium for some types of medication for dripping into the
ear canal.

Ear wax production is decreased by using proper ear plugs. It is my
experience that they also will remove larger chunks of wax if any are
there IF properly inserted (Opposing arm over the head to pull outer ear
backwards-upwards to straighten and widen the ear canal) and they will
push it unpleasantly inwards if improperly inserted.

> Graham


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

--
*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************

[Myles]

Hi-

"Hev" > wrote in message
...
> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?
>
> Did a search on google and found mostly animal care...
> I may eat like a dog, but I sure don't have an ear like one (wish i did
> though, would be helpful for audio)
>
> -Hev

Using a Q-tip is supposed to be a bad thing - only compresses the wax down
into the ear. Having had a lot of trouble with this over the past 30 years
(I have very waxy ears - an exciting fact to know, great for parties), the
best thing to do is to use Debrox or some commercial wax softener regularly,
every week or two - they're usually made with hydrogen peroxide and bubble
and fizz in your ear. Then, every few months, use a syringe on them - take
a pan into the shower, fill the syringe with warm water, squirt it in there
pretty forcefully, and you'll amaze your friends at what will come out.

Other than the syringe, the old advice of "never clean your ear with
anything other than your elbow" is sound.

YMMV, by a lot,

Myles

[Jay Levitt]

In article >,
says...
> I use 'Q-Tips' or Johnson's baby whatsits etc.
>
> I happen to have very oily / waxy ears and I clean them daily.
>
> They do warn about inserting it into the ear canal - quite rightly. Be
> *very* careful.

Better than Q-Tips is the "Ototek Loop". I found it at a drugstore,
Walgreens I think. About six bucks for a small plastic doohickey
similar to what the ear doctor uses, but with a guard at the end to
prevent you from sticking it in too far. Besides the guard, advantages
over a Q-Tip are that (a) it doesn't leave bits of itself inside, and
(b) the loop design means it's less likely to push ear wax in rather
than pull it out.

That said, I found that using it every day sure removed a lot more wax
than using it once a month or so. Whether that means that using it
produces more wax, as some are theorizing, or that not using it creates
solid buildup that won't come out without a cleaning, I have no idea.
Using ear-wax removal fluids has always caused me tremendous ear pain.

--
Jay Levitt |
Wellesley, MA | Hi!
Faster: jay at jay dot eff-em | Where are we going?
http://www.jay.fm | Why am I in this handbasket?

[John L Rice]

"William Sommerwerck" > wrote in message
...
> Regular cleaning (once a week or so) with cotton swab dampened with warm
water
> works very well. I've been doing for over 50 years with no problems.
>
> I especially like it when you dig out a huge chunk of reddish-brown wax...


LOL!!!

[William Sommerwerck]

> Clycerin (does that word exist in english?) was the
> cleaning agent used 50 years ago, it dissolves the
> ear wax but does not degrease, and it can still be
> a good first step in case of a severe wax blockage.
> It is also the carrier medium for some types of
> medication for dripping into the ear canal.

Glycerin is the word.

[William Sommerwerck]

> Using a Q-tip is supposed to be a bad thing --
> only compresses the wax down into the ear.

It doesn't -- if you clean your ears regularly. I've been doing it for 50 years,
and I have never had enough wax to impact.

On the other hand, my college roommate did not clean his ears regularly, and
when he went to clean them, he impacted the wax.

[William Sommerwerck]

> Besides the guard, advantages over a Q-Tip
> are that (a) it doesn't leave bits of itself inside...

Oh, yeah... Cotton lint is really lethal...

[Jay Levitt]

In article >,
says...
> Oh, yeah... Cotton lint is really lethal...

It is on a date.. :)

--
Jay Levitt |
Wellesley, MA | Hi!
Faster: jay at jay dot eff-em | Where are we going?
http://www.jay.fm | Why am I in this handbasket?

[David Grant]

I wake up with clogged ears on occasion, they usually declog themselves by
around mid afternoon, but it's pretty annoying waiting for them.

I went and picked up one of the products at www.earclear.com (I know, it
looks like one of those cheesy, hocus pocus websites) and have been rather
impressed. The syringes are built such that you can't stick them in far
enough to do any damage. I usually have unobstructed ears after about 3 or 4
flushes, and you can watch the clumps of dried wax make their way down the
shower drain. Quite satisfying!

Dave


"Hev" > wrote in message
...
> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?
>
> Did a search on google and found mostly animal care...
> I may eat like a dog, but I sure don't have an ear like one (wish i did
> though, would be helpful for audio)
>
> -Hev
>
>

[jt]

> Using a Q-tip is supposed to be a bad thing - only compresses the wax down
> into the ear. Having had a lot of trouble with this over the past 30 years
> (I have very waxy ears - an exciting fact to know, great for parties), the
> best thing to do is to use Debrox or some commercial wax softener regularly,
> every week or two - they're usually made with hydrogen peroxide and bubble
> and fizz in your ear. Then, every few months, use a syringe on them - take
> a pan into the shower, fill the syringe with warm water, squirt it in there
> pretty forcefully, and you'll amaze your friends at what will come out.
>
> Other than the syringe, the old advice of "never clean your ear with
> anything other than your elbow" is sound.


Seems that there is absolutely no solid concensus here, but if I may
add my experience, I use the process as described above.

Something else I have not seen menioned here, to my surprise, is the
use of ear plugs and IEMs and their effect on ear wax.

Anything plugging up your ear canal is going to keep wax from coming
out by itself, and every time you shove something in your ear canal,
you shove whatver wax is in there further in.

Even if you clean regularly, the small traces of wax that have built up
since your lat cleaning will get shoved farther in and become hard to
remove. You probably are NOT getting this wax out when you clean.

I use the fizzy ear cleaning fluids fairly regularly, laying on my
side, putting the stuff in, letting it fizz for 15-20 minutes (perhaps
while watching a DVD (with subtitles on cuz' I can't hear it with the
goo in my ear!), and then squirting the water in to clean out both wax
and cleaning product. Sometimes a big disgusting nugget of wax plops
out too, from deep within the ear, shoved in there by wearing plugs on
gigs, planes, the L, and even to sleep some times (gotta live urban
life).

Then flip to your other side and repeat.

[William Sommerwerck]

> ...you can watch the clumps of dried wax make
> their way down the shower drain. Quite satisfying!

They must be huge clumps if you can see them from five feet away!

[Hev]

I appreciate all the replies. Seems like there is a bit of disagreement as
to what is the best method of cleaning...

Professional cleaning certainly can't be denied as a decent solution. But I
can't see myself doing it more than once or twice a year.
The over the counter cleaners seem ok as well and would be a good solution
for in-between professional cleanings.

I read somewhere that the inside of headphones (which I use everyday) are
the dirtiest, bacteria ridden things around. Which brings up another good
question; What is the best way to clean the inside of your headphones
without damaging them?

The funniest damn comment in this thread was the 'don't poke anything inside
yours ears except your elbows'. Funny.

-Hev

[William Sommerwerck]

>> Oh, yeah... Cotton lint is really lethal...

> It is on a date.. :)

I get it... The auricular equivalent of spinach in your teeth...

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

"Hev" > wrote in message ...

> I appreciate all the replies. Seems like there is a bit of disagreement as
> to what is the best method of cleaning...

Again, my general practioner doc says... NOTHING. Unless there is a health
problem, the ear is a self cleaning and self defending mechanism. Don't
remove it's defenses (wax & hair), and what needs to come out, will come out.

> I read somewhere that the inside of headphones (which I use everyday) are
> the dirtiest, bacteria ridden things around. Which brings up another good
> question; What is the best way to clean the inside of your headphones
> without damaging them?

Unfortunately, headphones are almost as close as it comes to being a
'disposable' studio item. I'm personally not afraid to spray a little Lysol
onto the cloth speaker covers after thoroughly cleaning the pads and
support brace with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol. I don't spray
the cloth anywhere near as often as I clean the other surface materials.

> The funniest damn comment in this thread was the 'don't poke anything inside
> yours ears except your elbows'. Funny.

Funny indeed... but *very* practical.

--
David Morgan (MAMS)
http://www.m-a-m-s.com
http://www.artisan-recordingstudio.com

[THERMIONIC]

I saw an advert for this for the first time last night:

http://www.audiclean.co.uk/

FWIW, several doctors have told me NEVER to use cotton buds, no doctor has ever recommended them.

I once went to London's Throat, Nose and Ear hospital for a check up. This place was amazing. They sat me in an anechoic room and took
various readings. One test involved using a type of sonar to plot
the internal architecture of the ear. I can honestly say it was
the only time I've visited a hospital and enjoyed the experience!

Justin




----------
Sent via SPRACI - http://www.spraci.net/ - Parties,Raves,Clubs,Festivals

[Blind Joni]

>Better than Q-Tips is the "Ototek Loop". I found it at a drugstore,
>Walgreens I think. About six bucks for a small plastic doohickey

Plain bobby pins work fine..and cost alost nothing.


John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

[William Sommerwerck]

> What is the best way to clean the inside of your headphones
> without damaging them?

If you're the only ones wearing them, there's no need to clean them.

[William Sommerwerck]

> Again, my general practioner doc says... NOTHING.
> Unless there is a health problem, the ear is a self-
> cleaning and self-defending mechanism. Don't
> remove its defenses (wax & hair), and what needs
> to come out, will come out.

True in principle, but... The wax buildup can become unbearably itchy. And the
wax can so clog your ears that HF response is severely degraded.


> The funniest damn comment in this thread was the
> 'don't poke anything inside yours ears except your
> elbows'. Funny.

That wisecrack is at least 80 years old.

[Logan Shaw]

William Sommerwerck wrote:

>>...you can watch the clumps of dried wax make
>>their way down the shower drain. Quite satisfying!

> They must be huge clumps if you can see them from five feet away!

Nah, he cleans his eyes first, so he can see really well.

- Logan

[Bob Cain]

Jay Levitt wrote:


>
> Better than Q-Tips is the "Ototek Loop".

This looks worth a try. Even at $5.00 shipping. :-)


Bob
--

"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
simpler."

A. Einstein

[Paul Gitlitz]

On 31 Mar 2004 07:43:14 +1000, (THERMIONIC) wrote:

>I once went to London's Throat, Nose and Ear hospital for a check up. This place was amazing. They sat me in an anechoic room and took
>various readings. One test involved using a type of sonar to plot
>the internal architecture of the ear. I can honestly say it was
>the only time I've visited a hospital and enjoyed the experience!

I went to an audiologist to have my ears checked and molds made for
in ear monitors. The doctor used a laparoscope type camera with a
light on the end of a tiny goose neck inside my ear to check for ear
damage, which he found. Anyway we both watched the journey to the
center of my head past stalactites and stalagmites of wax coated
hairs on a big screen TV right in front of me. Truely scarey!

[Mike Looijmans]

> > The funniest damn comment in this thread was the 'don't poke anything
inside
> > yours ears except your elbows'. Funny.
>
> Funny indeed... but *very* practical.

True, any doc will tell you so.

If you absolutely insist on cleaning your ear with something, drop some
vegetable oil (like the stuff you'd use for a salad) into it. Wax will not
dissolve in water, unless you add some chemicals which are bad for your ear.
The wax dissolves quite well in the oil, but enough "defenses" are left in
the ear for protection.

Most cleaning products sold at exorbitant prices for ear cleaning are just
that - oil, in one form or another. Any greasy solution will do, be
vegetable oil smells and looks better than engine oil.

[W. Williams]

"William Sommerwerck" wrote:
> Regular cleaning (once a week or so) with cotton swab dampened with warm
water
> works very well. I've been doing for over 50 years with no problems.
>
> I especially like it when you dig out a huge chunk of reddish-brown wax...
>

Erm... would that be a cylinder?

W

[John L Rice]

"Blind Joni" > wrote in message
...
> >Better than Q-Tips is the "Ototek Loop". I found it at a drugstore,
> >Walgreens I think. About six bucks for a small plastic doohickey
>
> Plain bobby pins work fine..and cost alost nothing.
>
>
> John A. Chiara
> SOS Recording Studio
> Live Sound Inc.
> Albany, NY
> www.sosrecording.net
> 518-449-1637

Just go to the candle making hobby store and get a spool of wick. Cut off a
2" piece and place in your right ear while laying on your left side. Light
the wick . . it takes about 5 minutes. Any wax that doesn't burn up will
readily pour out of your ear when you turn over to do the other side. Hint
: Be sure to wipe off your neck on a regular basis otherwise you'll start to
look like an old wine bottle in a funky French beatnik restaurant.

John L Rice



Disclaimer for the judgment impaired : It's a joke kids, don't put anything
burning hot in your ear.

[John L Rice]

"William Sommerwerck" > wrote in message
...
> > Using a Q-tip is supposed to be a bad thing --
> > only compresses the wax down into the ear.
>
> It doesn't -- if you clean your ears regularly. I've been doing it for 50
years,
> and I have never had enough wax to impact.
>
> On the other hand, my college roommate did not clean his ears regularly,
and
> when he went to clean them, he impacted the wax.

I do the same. I gently clean my ears every morning with Q-Tips ( I buy the
name brand, the store/generic brands use less cotton and are less soft )
right after my shower. I don't go in very far, just about as far as you
could see in or stick my littke finger in. There is usually just a small
residue of wax on the Q-tip.

You can also listen to a lot of stuff through headphones. It tends to make
little balls of ear wax and they roll right out. I'm not joking, I know one
other person besides myself who has experienced this. ( the volumes probably
need to be too high to be effective though )

John L Rice

[james]

In article >,
Blind Joni > wrote:

>Plain bobby pins work fine..and cost alost nothing.

God gave you teeth for stripping wire, and he put a nail on your pinky
finger for ear wax :-)

[Errol Holt]

"Hev" > wrote:
> What is the best way to clean the inside of your ears?

>From the British Medical Association's "British Medical Journal"

[10-minute consultation]

Removal of ear wax:

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/325/7354/27

Reader Responses:

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/325/7354/27#responses


You might also consider a visit the USENET group:

bionet.audiology

[TonyP]

"flint" > wrote in message
...
> I go to a Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and get my ears cleaned regularly. I
> used to do it every 6 months, but now that I don't make a living off my
ears
> I go once a year.
>
> I've tried all the over-the-counter remedies and they mostly just
irritated
> my ear canals which resulted in an increase in wax production. The doctor
> gets it all and I always hear better immediately.

Lucky you. I find getting the ears syringed very uncomfortable, and provides
little difference to my hearing, despite obvious amounts of wax removed.

TonyP.

[Jay Levitt]

In article >,
says...
> Just go to the candle making hobby store and get a spool of wick. Cut off a
> 2" piece and place in your right ear while laying on your left side.

Won't it drip through the left ear onto the bed? That sounds messy.

--
Jay Levitt |
Wellesley, MA | Hi!
Faster: jay at jay dot eff-em | Where are we going?
http://www.jay.fm | Why am I in this handbasket?

[William Sommerwerck]

Last night, shortly before going to bed, my right ear canal started itching.

A bit of work with a dampened Q-Tip removed the wax, and I retired to bed, happy
and grateful.

[unitron]

"John L Rice" > wrote in message >...
> "Blind Joni" > wrote in message
> ...
> > >Better than Q-Tips is the "Ototek Loop". I found it at a drugstore,
> > >Walgreens I think. About six bucks for a small plastic doohickey
> >
> > Plain bobby pins work fine..and cost alost nothing.
> >
> >
> > John A. Chiara
> > SOS Recording Studio
> > Live Sound Inc.
> > Albany, NY
> > www.sosrecording.net
> > 518-449-1637
>
> Just go to the candle making hobby store and get a spool of wick. Cut off a
> 2" piece and place in your right ear while laying on your left side. Light
> the wick . . it takes about 5 minutes. Any wax that doesn't burn up will
> readily pour out of your ear when you turn over to do the other side. Hint
> : Be sure to wipe off your neck on a regular basis otherwise you'll start to
> look like an old wine bottle in a funky French beatnik restaurant.
>
> John L Rice
>
>
>
> Disclaimer for the judgment impaired : It's a joke kids, don't put anything
> burning hot in your ear.

Your joke is as close as anyone in this thread has gotten to
mentioning ear candling and I'm a little surprised that no one else
has msntioned it.

[Mike Clayton]

In article >, "William Sommerwerck"
> wrote:

> Last night, shortly before going to bed, my right ear canal started itching.
>
> A bit of work with a dampened Q-Tip removed the wax, and I retired to
bed, happy
> and grateful.

Quote from a wise old audiologist:

"The smallest thing you should put in your ear is your elbow."

--
Mike Clayton

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> Your joke is as close as anyone in this thread has gotten to
> mentioning ear candling and I'm a little surprised that no one else
> has msntioned it.

That went around here a while back. Must be time to recycle that
thread.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[hank alrich]

Mike Rivers wrote:

> writes:

> > Your joke is as close as anyone in this thread has gotten to
> > mentioning ear candling and I'm a little surprised that no one else
> > has msntioned it.

> That went around here a while back. Must be time to recycle that
> thread.

Wicked!

--
ha

[Scott Chapin]

"Bob Cain" > wrote in message
...
> Scott Chapin wrote:
>
> >
> > I frequently use a syringe to clean my ears. I fill the sink with luke
warm
> > water to fill the syringe with and GENTLY squeeze it. Two or three
flushes
> > does the trick, if you do it fairly frequently.
>
> Curious how you know that.
>
>
> Bob
> --
>
> "Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
> simpler."
>
> A. Einstein

Not sure what you mean here. I guess a doctor who cleaned my ears, a very
painful operation at the time, told me to clean my ears that way. My father
told me how to as well. I've been doing it successfully and with no known
problems for 32 years now.

Scott

[Bob Cain]

Scott Chapin wrote:
> "Bob Cain" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Scott Chapin wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I frequently use a syringe to clean my ears. I fill the sink with luke
>
> warm
>
>>>water to fill the syringe with and GENTLY squeeze it. Two or three
>
> flushes
>
>>>does the trick, if you do it fairly frequently.
>>
>>Curious how you know that.
>>
>>
>>Bob
>>--
>>
>>"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
>>simpler."
>>
>> A. Einstein
>
>
> Not sure what you mean here. I guess a doctor who cleaned my ears, a very
> painful operation at the time, told me to clean my ears that way. My father
> told me how to as well. I've been doing it successfully and with no known
> problems for 32 years now.
>

Just curious how you know that the method is effective.
I've tried the peroxide based softeners followed by flushing
and always been left wondering whether it really did the
trick or not.

If somebody sold a cheap optical fiber ear-o-scope that
would let me look, I'd buy one.


Bob
--

"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
simpler."

A. Einstein

[Kurt Albershardt]

Mike Looijmans wrote:
>
> If you absolutely insist on cleaning your ear with something, drop some
> vegetable oil (like the stuff you'd use for a salad) into it. Wax will not
> dissolve in water, unless you add some chemicals which are bad for your ear.
> The wax dissolves quite well in the oil, but enough "defenses" are left in
> the ear for protection.
>
> Most cleaning products sold at exorbitant prices for ear cleaning are just
> that - oil, in one form or another. Any greasy solution will do, be
> vegetable oil smells and looks better than engine oil.

Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax, not an oil. Warm up a bit and put a few drops in the ear.

[Scott Chapin]

"Bob Cain" > wrote in message
...
> Scott Chapin wrote:
> > "Bob Cain" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>Scott Chapin wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>I frequently use a syringe to clean my ears. I fill the sink with luke
> >
> > warm
> >
> >>>water to fill the syringe with and GENTLY squeeze it. Two or three
> >
> > flushes
> >
> >>>does the trick, if you do it fairly frequently.
> >>
> >>Curious how you know that.
> >>
> >>
> >>Bob
> >>--
> >>
> >>"Things should be described as simply as possible, but no
> >>simpler."
> >>
> >> A. Einstein
> >
> >
> > Not sure what you mean here. I guess a doctor who cleaned my ears, a
very
> > painful operation at the time, told me to clean my ears that way. My
father
> > told me how to as well. I've been doing it successfully and with no
known
> > problems for 32 years now.
> >
>
> Just curious how you know that the method is effective.
> I've tried the peroxide based softeners followed by flushing
> and always been left wondering whether it really did the
> trick or not.
>
> If somebody sold a cheap optical fiber ear-o-scope that
> would let me look, I'd buy one.
>
>
> Bob
>
I guess you'll have to have a family member check it out. My doctor never
says my ears look bad. They feel right, and I can see the wax that's flushed
out. My grandfather used to do the peroxide thing, but up til now, frequent
flushings work for me. The secret is to do it often enough to avert wax
build up and hardening. For me, that's about every two to three months. When
my wash rag starts to show wax, I flush.

Scott Chapin

[Pooh Bear]

Peter Larsen wrote:

> Pooh Bear wrote:
>
> > I happen to have very oily / waxy ears and I clean them daily.
>
> Effect and cause?

I think you're querying if my regular cleaning causes the oily / waxiness ?

Actually I just have a very oily skin - period. I'm nearly 50 and still get
'zits' too. Crazy.

As a young kid I used to suffer ear pain caused by ( I assume ) accumulated
wax. Doctor used to syringe them sometimes. I guess I was born with the
issue.


> Excessive noise exposure is however another known cause of increased
> earwax production. Your ear canal responds to the horde of q-tip shaped
> insects by producing more wax so as to be able to push them out.

LOL !

Actually - on reflection I reckon I clean then every other day to be honest.

>
> > I guess a warm water 'syringing' would do much the same.
>
> There is a cleaning set available, with rubber "bottle" and a cleaning
> agent, the brand name I know is Remo-Wax. It is in fact very helpful if
> a wax problem exists. First consult an ENT for instructions and whether
> it just is wax or whether there is some other cause of not being able to
> hear, imo you should not use the cleaning agent too frequently, and
> mostly just resort to warm water.

Ahhh - my reason for cleaning is not due to not being able to hear - it's
just plain irritating.

>
> Clycerin (does that word exist in english?) was the cleaning agent used
> 50 years ago, it dissolves the ear wax but does not degrease, and it can
> still be a good first step in case of a severe wax blockage. It is also
> the carrier medium for some types of medication for dripping into the
> ear canal.

I recall my mother using warm olive oil when I was a youngster to help.
Maybe it works similarly to dissolve the wax ?


> Ear wax production is decreased by using proper ear plugs. It is my
> experience that they also will remove larger chunks of wax if any are
> there IF properly inserted (Opposing arm over the head to pull outer ear
> backwards-upwards to straighten and widen the ear canal) and they will
> push it unpleasantly inwards if improperly inserted.

High SPL is not an issue I have to deal with regularly now - but thanks for
the advice.

Cheers, Graham

[Pooh Bear]

William Sommerwerck wrote:

> > Using a Q-tip is supposed to be a bad thing --
> > only compresses the wax down into the ear.
>
> It doesn't -- if you clean your ears regularly. I've been doing it for 50 years,
> and I have never had enough wax to impact.
>
> On the other hand, my college roommate did not clean his ears regularly, and
> when he went to clean them, he impacted the wax.

This is exactly so. Regular removal of small amounts of surplus wax prevents the
issue of a large accumulation.

Graham

p.s. interesting to hear how the regs here have their various ways of dealing with
this issue - but is it ever mentioned in any audio books ?

[Peter Larsen]

Pooh Bear wrote:

[much skipped]

>> Clycerin (does that word exist in english?) ...

> I recall my mother using warm olive oil when I was a youngster
> to help. Maybe it works similarly to dissolve the wax ?

Probably, it ought to be a valid solvent for wax. Ear wax removal tools
are known from Viking tombs, it is certainly not a new problem.

> Cheers, Graham


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

--
*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************

[0junk4me@bellsouth.net]

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On 2004-03-29 said:
>after feeling like there was water stuck in my ear canal, did
>I poke at it with a cotton swab - about 4 years ago. It was a
>couple of weeks before the pain and clogged feeling went away. I
>thought I had given myself an infection of some sort, but after
>talking with my regular doctor, he surmised that I had impacted
>(compacted?) some wax and that it would clear itself naturally. It
>did. I would advise not sticking things in one's ears any further
>than a finger tip will pass.
True. I had a bunch of wax impacted in my left ear about 15 years
ago and it was starting to drive me crazy. Since I need my ears,
(preferrably both of them) to move about the city safely I went to the
emergency room at the local hospital.

THe doc had a look and sent in this nurse with a water pick. THe
water pick got a bunch of gunk out but it was not a pleasant
experience.




Richard Webb
Electric Spider Productions
REplace anything before the @ symbol with elspider for real email

--