Ear Wax Buildup, What To Do? Safely.

[Jingthing]

I've got some buildup in at least one ear. I can feel some pressure there, not real pain. My barber said one ear is "very dirty" and I believe him. Of course he wants to stick a big stick in my ears and do what Thai barbers do to your ears, which is something I would never do. The question is, what needs to be done? I think I need to see an ear, nose, throat specialist but I want a more western treatment for this. What should I expect from the doc and what procedures should I avoid even from a doc (as I don't trust even doctors here to know what they are doing)?

Edited August 5, 2010 by Jingthing

[lopburi3]

ENT at hospital should have the equipment (full video so you can watch) and be able to clean in a short period of time. I have not done so don't know details but three family members have used our hospital here in Bangkok and all have found it simple, quick and effective. In US had nurse use water to clean 20 years ago and took several hours before I could drive home as lost balance - and several days before felt right as I recall - have avoided that type of treatment.

[mrtoad]

JT, one suggestion would be for you to at least use some warm olive oil and put that into the ears. This will soften and loosen the wax, and it may be that it comes out naturally. Even if there is a need for the ears to be syringed, Doctors would still suggest that you do this for a few days before having any invasive treatment. I had mine syringed a few years ago, and couldn't believe how much shit was stuck in my ear.

Keep those cotton bud sticks away from ears!!!

[FBN]

An alternative to olive oil is "Waxsol"; an ear drop made to soften wax prior to removal but may also do the trick on its own after a few day's use.

Should be available most pharmacies.

[WarpSpeed]

Also a 50/50 mix of alcohol and vinegar is very good and doctor recommended to break up ear wax, kill harmful bacteria and fungus and displace moisture.. Used to have many ear problems when I was young and besides the above this one sharp pediatrician out of many not so finally identified that I was cleaning my ears too well and that the wax is there to prevent bacteria and fungus from causing infections in the ear wall. Since I let up on thorough cleaning internally I have never had another problem since, if I feel a twinge of pain beginning I use the above and soon all is well, also used after any swim..

There is also a painless (unless they drip hot wax on you) procedure known as Ear Candling which I've never used but is supposed to be very effective but there are differing opinions on that like so many others..

Edited August 5, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[Jingthing]

An alternative to olive oil is "Waxsol"; an ear drop made to soften wax prior to removal but may also do the trick on its own after a few day's use.

Should be available most pharmacies.

So the wax just softens and then goes where? Does it leak out of the ears and then you just clean the exterior parts of the ear (if it works fully)? Or does it just get absorbed internally?

Also, in case I need it, can someone suggest a specific ENT doctor in Pattaya?

Edited August 5, 2010 by Jingthing

[FBN]

The wax will soften and leak out and can then be removed with a cotton bud, gently..

[lopburi3]

Believe what I was talking about at local hospital is called micro-suction.

[FBN]

Micro suction is usually used by ENTs, correct; easier to do and less painfull if the wax has been softened prior to the procedure..

[TheyCallmeScooter]

Don't let your barber anywhere NEAR your ears imo - but I say that after having this identical problem a few years ago in Manila. My barber went in to remove the wax and ended up pushing it or perforating my ear drum or god knows what - the pain was just....shiver.

I raced to Makati Med [the only 'decent' hospital in the country, I *think*] where I waited in emergency for 2 hrs until a trainee doc finally got around to having a look. She attempted 5-10 times with some terrifying-in-appearance probe but gave up eventually - and told me to buy hydrogen peroxide to dissolve it.

I'd used hydrogen peroxide before - when I was 16 to bleach my hair, which we screwed up and it went snow white and I remember our scalps burning etc. I thought I was done for....thankfully, I guilt-tripped the trainee doc into giving me some morphine...which I don't really think was as 'overkill' as it might sound...

Anyway, I Google'd this 'insanity' - and as it turned out - it's widely accepted to be one of the best solutions. And I poured that stuff down my ears whilst dosed up on morphine fully expecting to be deaf in at least one ear post-event....but within 24 hrs, everything back to normal [apart from the perforated eardrum which took a few days to settle].....I strongly recommend this method.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5770586_use-clean-fluid-out-ears.html

[crazydrummerpauly]

I have had many years of ear-trouble mainly due to wearing white-noise generators

as a rather pathetic 'treatment' for chronic tinnitus ( ex-rock drummer )....the one

valuable thing I learned from a top ENT consultant at Addenbrooke's Hos. Cambridge, UK,

was: KEEP WATER OUT of your ears at all times. This, above all in a shower-crazy

culture/environment, means use EAR-PLUGS in the shower - always. The relevance to

this topic ? - water causes the ear-wax to swell up and expand, blocking the narrow

ear-canal. This interferes with the natural process by which ear-wax is expelled from

the ear - it simply falls out when you're not looking ! Ditto the many bits of good advice about

not putting anything down into your ear - the Dr's cliche is : 'Never put anything smaller than

your elbow into your ear' - hardeeha. I still use ear-plugs in the shower years after being

given the pro. advice, and I'll do so until standing in a shower unaided is only a distant

memory - aaaah.

[ozsamurai]

take it from a chronic life long sufferer, use hydrogen peroxide...

oz

[ericg1953]

An alternative to olive oil is "Waxsol"; an ear drop made to soften wax prior to removal but may also do the trick on its own after a few day's use.

Should be available most pharmacies.

So the wax just softens and then goes where? Does it leak out of the ears and then you just clean the exterior parts of the ear (if it works fully)? Or does it just get absorbed internally?

Also, in case I need it, can someone suggest a specific ENT doctor in Pattaya?

I have seen this Dr. at Bumrungrad for ear wax. He has a top notch education at top schools in the US. Speaks perfect english and is highly capable

Name: Dr. Prayuth Tunsuriyawong

Specialty: Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose:Throat)

Language: Spoken: English,Thai

Qualifications: Medical School:

- M.D., Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand, 1993

Board Certifications:

- Diploma of The Thai Board of Otolaryngology, 1996

Fellowships:

- Rhinology, University of Pennsylvania, USA, 1999

- Rhinology and Otology, Harvard Medical School, USA, 1998

Assistant Professor, Mahidol University, Thailand

Special Clinical Trainings:

- Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS)

Special Clinical Interests:

- Advance ESS, Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, Endoscopic orbital and optic nerve decompression,

Smell and Taste Disorders

Edited August 8, 2010 by ericg1953