Let's talk about... ear wax

[Enhance]

YUM, right?

 

Just kidding - actually, this is more about getting your ears washed out (based on my status update yesterday that had a lot of comments) and the kind of problems clogged ears can cause. (This is all a little tongue in cheek, but I think it actually might open some people's eyes... and ears... =D)

 

Brief back story - I've spent the last several weeks with a sore throat and clogged ear canals. The throat was usually irritated and burning in the morning, and my ear canals were closing up when I laid on my side or, sadly, even when I smiled. It felt like fluid was stuck in my ears after swimming. I went to my doctor, told him what was going on and he looked in my ears/throat. He explained how the eustachian tube works and how build up in the ears and sinuses can cause the problems I'm having.

 

Now, for the good bits - a nurse came in and used a spritz bottle with a small tube and water/rubbing alcohol to douse my inner ear canal. She then scraped out ear wax chunks twice the size of baked beans (hungry yet?)

 

The benefits have actually been shocking. My hearing is surprisingly more clear and sharp (i.e. I learned my company pumps a type of white noise through the building to help with noise reduction. It sounds like the AC is running, but I had no idea until yesterday). I also didn't realize that it was causing me some balance issues when I was working out - some light headedness and dizziness when I would do floor moves. That was all cleared up during this morning's workout.

 

Anyways, I sincerely recommend talking to your doctor about it the next time you're there. They say one of the leading causes of dementia is hearing loss and the nurse said ear wax buildup has caused partial hearing loss in hundreds of patients she worked with.

[ColoradoHusk]

After your post yesterday, I checked out some videos on YouTube. It's mildly gross and disturbing, but also fascinating.

 

I'm thinking about picking up one of these from Amazon.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Washer-Bottle-Doctor-Easy/dp/B005M2B5P0/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1494598719&sr=8-3&keywords=ear+cleaner

 

EDIT: I bought one on Amazon, and should receive it this weekend. I can't wait to try it out. I figure with the frequency I wear ear buds and how I use Q-tips for my ears after a shower, I probably have some good chunks of ear wax in there.

[Enhance]

That's pretty much exactly the one that the doctor's office uses. I'd just pose some caution as they went waaaay past "Q-Tip depth". It didn't hurt but it also didn't feel good, and they also were able to use those ear scopes to see what they were doing.

[knapplc]

Using ear buds can cause this? Because I wear them at work every day.

[Fru]

[NUance]

 

Meh. I just floss every day.

[ColoradoHusk]

Using ear buds can cause this? Because I wear them at work every day.

I think anything being placed in the ear on a consistent basis can help jam stuff further into your ear canal. I think I can be trusted with that medical opinion, I stayed at a Residence Inn recently.

[Apathy]

My wife watched pimple popper on YouTube last night and I watch ears getting drained last night and she's like "Eeww that's gross"......really babe

 

She's obsessed with pimple popper....weird

[NUinID]

I have had the wax cleaned out of my ears at least 10x in my lifetime. The first time was when I was about 14 years old. I woke up and my hearing was muffled. I thought I was going deaf. Mom took me to the Dr and they said I had ear wax build up. It was like I had never heard anything before my hearing was so clear. I guess I produce a lot of earwax, so the Dr says. One time I actually had a fungus growning on my earwax when I was in college, that was really nasty. They cleaned my ears out the wax that came out was green and really stunk bad.

 

It has been a while since the last time they were cleaned out.

[Enhance]

She's obsessed with pimple popper....weird

I'm convinced that's mostly a girl thing - my sister was obsessed with popping anything on me when we were growing up, and my fiancée is the same way now.

[Nebfanatic]

I clean my ears with a paperclip. Very effective lol

[NM11046]

On a similar/side note ....

 

If you suddenly lose hearing (without the pain of an earache, no feeling of water in there - just fuzzy) it is a medical emergency.

 

I woke up one day and couldn't hear out of one ear. Went to the gym and struggled, but I wasn't in pain. Did the ear wash, heating pad, changed allergy meds etc. Finally went to a minute clinic because I was due to fly - said things in there were inflamed but blamed allergies and gave me a nose spray. No improvement. Went another couple weeks - went to see my doc. No diagnosis but "allergies". Finally went to an ENT about 3 months after it happened and within 2 mins he had me diagnosed. Idiopathic hearing loss. 50% loss and if it had been correctly diagnosed initially they could have worked to save some of the hearing. No specific cause they could identify, but reasons most often include: "stroke in the inner ear" (blood vessel burst), virus (like HPV and others that we all carry).

 

So if you don't get wax out and still have hearing issues - go see a doc immediately!

 

Also, there's a great app that is exactly what they use at Eye & Ear Institutions that gave me the exact results at home that I got in the hospital. If anyone's interested let me know - pretty cool to see where you're already deficient.

[Making Chimichangas]

YUM, right?

 

Just kidding - actually, this is more about getting your ears washed out (based on my status update yesterday that had a lot of comments) and the kind of problems clogged ears can cause. (This is all a little tongue in cheek, but I think it actually might open some people's eyes... and ears... =D)

 

Brief back story - I've spent the last several weeks with a sore throat and clogged ear canals. The throat was usually irritated and burning in the morning, and my ear canals were closing up when I laid on my side or, sadly, even when I smiled. It felt like fluid was stuck in my ears after swimming. I went to my doctor, told him what was going on and he looked in my ears/throat. He explained how the eustachian tube works and how build up in the ears and sinuses can cause the problems I'm having.

 

Now, for the good bits - a nurse came in and used a spritz bottle with a small tube and water/rubbing alcohol to douse my inner ear canal. She then scraped out ear wax chunks twice the size of baked beans (hungry yet?)

 

The benefits have actually been shocking. My hearing is surprisingly more clear and sharp (i.e. I learned my company pumps a type of white noise through the building to help with noise reduction. It sounds like the AC is running, but I had no idea until yesterday). I also didn't realize that it was causing me some balance issues when I was working out - some light headedness and dizziness when I would do floor moves. That was all cleared up during this morning's workout.

 

Anyways, I sincerely recommend talking to your doctor about it the next time you're there. They say one of the leading causes of dementia is hearing loss and the nurse said ear wax buildup has caused partial hearing loss in hundreds of patients she worked with.

 

This post is very informative. I've been having just about all these issues recently. I will wake up in the morning, and my throat will be really sore and dry. I drink plenty of water so I know it's not dehydration. I've also been having dizzy spells. I was at work a while back, and I got so dizzy, I felt like I was going to pass out.

 

I really need to get into a doctor's office.

[The Dude]

Using ear buds can cause this? Because I wear them at work every day.

I once heard they're​ worse for your hearing than regular headphones. Not sure how true it is, but it makes sense if you think about it. With headphones the sound isn't concentrated as much directly on your ear drums.

[ZRod]

I'm a cheap ass, but my right ear was plugged up the last couple weeks. What's it cost to get them cleaned out?

 

I would wake up in the middle of the night furiously scratching my ear and then it would fill with wax. Gross!