Thai Style Ear Cleaning

[tolsti]

One of my great pleasures (I kid you not) in Thailand is having my ears cleaned.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere in the UK (preferably in the South) that I can get this done?

Suggestions welcome.

[meatgrowler]

One of my great pleasures (I kid you not) in Thailand is having my ears cleaned.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere in the UK (preferably in the South) that I can get this done?

Suggestions welcome.

where,how did they do it,and how much did it cost????ifancy having it done,as ive already had most the cleansing and pampering done ,than you can have in los

[Rinrada]

Let a Thai or anyone else for that matter near my ears with a pungy stick...NO WAY...too dangerous.

Even as kid we were all brought up to believe that the biggest thing that you put in /or have put into or anywhere near yer LUGS is your elbow....

Had to have mine sewn back on once in the jungle (field hospital-thanks to an Indian Col.-quack)after a wee accident and now half deaf but can still drink so thats OK.....

eh....wot-wots that ye say....

[tolsti]

where,how did they do it,and how much did it cost????ifancy having it done,as ive already had most the cleansing and pampering done ,than you can have in los

I've always had it done in a small barbers in a little shopping alley that goes from Soi 7 through into Sukhumvit Road in BKK. The ladies in there are very pleasant and if I recall it was about 400 bht.

[taxexile]

The ladies in there are very pleasant and if I recall it was about 400 bht.

the ladies may be pleasant , but their knowledge of human anatomy , disease processes and sterilisation techniques are in all probability lacking.

ear wax is produced by the human body for a very good reason ( protection of the outer ear canal from infections being one of them) and there is no reason for it to be removed , other than by adequately trained medical personell , when they consider it necessary from a medical point of view.

removal of it can lead to ear infections , physical damage to the ear drum , and physical damage to the outer ear canal. the instruments they use are not sterilised properly between use , and if the person before you had an open sore in the ear ( either from a scratch from the instrument , or more commonly , an insect bite) then there is the slight but real possibility of becoming infected with a blood borne disease.

these pleasant girls are there to make a living , by all means entertain them with other parts of your body , but dont let them mess with your ears , and if you are convinced that you need your ears syringed , then visit a doctor , who will use the appropriate liquids to soften the wax and the correct instruments for removing it.

[Heng]

Yeah, your doctor (anywhere in the world) will simply remove any excess blockage either with pincers or sometimes a warm water flush during your yearly medical checkup. Otherwise, some blockage is normal and healthy.

[jayenram]

Yeah, your doctor (anywhere in the world) will simply remove any excess blockage either with pincers or sometimes a warm water flush during your yearly medical checkup. Otherwise, some blockage is normal and healthy.

I've tried a number of doctors in Thailand for the water flush but none of them appear to have the necessary impliment. I am very reluctant to let even a doctor near my ears with those hyperdermic vacuum cleaner type intruments.

[chownah]

I have had my ears cleaned by doctors in Thailand three times (I produce excess ear wax and my ears plug up every couple of years or so) and they have all done a good job and its alot cheaper than 400 baht.....it wasn't entertaining however.

Chownah

[Heng]

Yeah, your doctor (anywhere in the world) will simply remove any excess blockage either with pincers or sometimes a warm water flush during your yearly medical checkup. Otherwise, some blockage is normal and healthy.

I've tried a number of doctors in Thailand for the water flush but none of them appear to have the necessary impliment. I am very reluctant to let even a doctor near my ears with those hyperdermic vacuum cleaner type intruments.

Hmm... I should say I haven't done it often enough to survey many hospitals as I have only been 'clogged up' twice in my life. Once in my teens stateside (taken care of at the UT Austin medical station) and then again here in Thailand (done at Samitivej Srinakarintara). The only equipment that was required was really something like needle nose pincers, a fat needleless syringe, some hydrogen peroxide type liquid (for softening up the ear wax I assume), and a curved bowl to catch the drain off. I only had it done because in both cases, I happened to be listening to music or watching tv when suddenly I felt like one ear could hear less than the other. Having a bit more free time than most folks, I immediately hopped in the car and went off to the doctor's to see what was up.

[roguegirl]

I thought I watched a documentary on clearing the ear with a specific rolled paper, put in the ear and burnt at the end.

Must check if the person cleaning is not alseep as you might burnt your ear to ashes... The paper needs to be taken off after a few minutes...

Am not talking 'bout ciggies!

Edited November 9, 2006 by roguegirl

[PeaceBlondie]

I noticed severe hearing loss in one ear, and went in to a Thai hospital (not a very good one). They saw the ear was plugged with wax, and a real nurse did it as Heng described: hydrogen peroxide, syringe with no needle, pincer tweezers, a drainage bowl, etc. They cleared both ears, and charged around 400 baht.

Not a pleasant experience, though.

[Farma]

Near KK bus station there were a number of those ear cleaning places. I would see all the chairs and bright lights and often thought of getting those pesky hairs and wax removed from my lug holes.

Never got a chance, everyone in the family from Pa downwards warned me not to. The places and methods were considered too unhygienic to them. I since asked other Thais and they have the same attitude.

[dave111223]

I thought Thai style ear cleaning was to grow your pinky nail long

[SamuiRes]

I have had ear problems since a teenager and have had three operations on my ears. I have six monthly check ups with ear specialists and they always use the suction pump which gently removes the wax. My first ever real problem was as a teenager with bad ear ache and my local GP used a warm water syringe - unfortunately not being a specialist and not having the right equipment to look in the ear, he did not see I had a perforated ear drum. Consequently water was forced into the inner ear with considerable discomfort and pain for days. That is the main reason for never letting anyone syringe your ears unless they are an ENT specialist who can check the ear drum first.

Presumably these ear cleaners who use lighted paper in the ear just melt the soft wax which is absorbed by the paper. The problem will not be the soft wax but the harder wax building up against the ear drum. That needs specialist removal.